Cutting Wave
by Drysil's Chosen
Summary: Shuuichi Ito lived a normal but boring life outside Karakura Town, living with his girlfriend Kue. However, a sudden attack by a Hollow kills him, and later turns him into a Shinigami. Now he is stranded on Earth as a rogue Shinigami. What does he do?
1. First Song

Contains language

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Shuuichi suddenly stopped reading, lowering his book slightly. He brushed the long brown hair out of his eyes to stare out the window next to him. Across the living room, his girlfriend Kue noticed his behavior.

"What is it? Is it that feeling again?"

"Yeah," said Shuuichi, standing up from the couch. "I think I'm going to go check it out."

He stood up and walked out of the living room, and outside onto the front porch. Night had fallen, and he could hear the cicadas chirping outside on the three large trees in front of his house.

He had been feeling something peculiar for the last three days when night had fallen. A dark presence that seemed to float around the house. Though Kue couldn't feel such things, feelings like this were common for Shuuichi.

Last year, a friend of his from town, a young man named Ishida in Karakura told him about something called spirit energy. It was something only a few individuals were capable of feeling, but if you were able to, you could sense the energy being put out by individuals. Apparently, Shuuichi had a high amount of spiritual energy, and was able to learn to feel energy around him. Ishida taught him how.

But ever since then, he occasionally felt dark presences looming around him and Kue. He couldn't be sure what it was.

As he stood out on the porch, he suddenly felt as if something jumped past him, for a gust of wind blew in front of him. He looked around for a moment, confused, then turned to go back inside.

As he turned around, he heard a loud crack, and spun on the spot. He still could see nothing, but as he stared, the dark presence around him suddenly vanished. The middle tree in the front yard had a large gouge in it. It seemed like the mark of a large blade.

The next day, Shuuichi was on his way home from work once again, driving home from Karakura out into the country. It was the end of the day, another boring day. Of course, he was looking forward to spending another night with Kue, but otherwise, it seemed like his life was very boring.

If it weren't for Kue, his life would have seemed pretty much worthless.

There had to be more to life than this. Maybe he should learn more about that spirit power thing that Ishida had taught him…

As he drove on, Shuuichi reached over and picked up the letter he had gotten from his father that morning. His father. He really didn't want to talk to him; he didn't have a good relationship with his father. He never wanted to talk to that b--

Shuuichi slowly opened his eyes, groaning. _What the hell just happened?_ He found himself facedown in gravel, and he thought he heard a hissing sound. He rose himself to his hands and knees and looked up. He was on the road... That was odd. Wasn't he just driving home a second ago?

He turned toward the hissing sound behind him and nearly fainted in shock. There was his car, right behind him. And a tree sitting on top of it. The windshield had exploded outward from the impact, and the roof was crushed down under the weight of the tree. Smoke was hissing out from under the hood.

_What the hell just happened?_, he thought again. He rose to his feet, though his legs were trembling, and approached the car, circling it. He reached out a hand toward the tree trunk and gingerly touched it. As he did so, he was astounded to see that his arm didn't even have any cuts. Indeed, he didn't appear to have any injuries at all!

It was a miracle that he even survived, let alone sustained no injuries. The strangest thing was, of course, the tree sitting on top of the car. He noted the tree trunk off to the side of the road, but it was impossible for the tree to have fallen _all the way_ out to the middle of the road. It was as if something had torn the tree right off and slammed it down on his car as it passed by.

Regardless, there was no chance of him getting to his cell phone inside the car. He had to walk the rest of the way.

For the next hour, he trudged on down the road, his legs still shaking in shock. No cars passed by for him to flag down, which was extremely fortunate. And he was far enough out in the country that there were no houses nearby except his own, which was still a couple miles away. By the time he actually got to his house, he was in a rotten mood.

"I always thought it would be nice to live out away from everybody because it would be nice and quiet," he mumbled as he walked up the sidewalk from his driveway to the door.

The door in front of him opened, and Kue came striding out briskly.

"Sorry I'm late honey, I'm…"

Shuuichi trailed off as Kue just brushed right past him, and got in her car and drove off. He was left standing on the sidewalk, his mouth hanging open.

"Cold…" he growled.

When he walked through the front door, he immediately spotted a note on the dining table addressed to him. He sat down and read it, and thereafter hunched over, even more in a rotten mood.

_Shuuichi,  
Where the HELL are you? I've been waiting here for you to get home, and you're not answering your phone! Anyway, if you ever decide to come home, I'm off to the grocery store to pick up some food. Occupy yourself until I get home to yell at you.  
Love, Kue_

Shuuichi felt as if an icy dagger had been driven through his heart. He sighed and shuffled into the living room, sinking down into his favorite chair and into a depression.

Wrecked car, pissed off girlfriend. Two more things to make his life suck...

He heard the door open, and he braced himself. It looked like Kue had changed her mind, and decided to yell at him now and go shopping later. He hunched over in his chair, a dark cloud hanging over him. As the figure stepped into the living room, he looked up to try to explain the situation.

"Honey, I—"

He stopped in mid-sentence to see that the figure in the room--rather than his girlfriend--was a tall black-haired man in a robe, holding a rather deadly-looking katana.

"Honey?" he said, looking bewildered.

"AAAH!" screamed Shuuichi leaping out of his chair. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU? Don't kill me! I didn't do anything wrong!"

The man in the robe continued to watch in amusement as Shuuichi continued to scream, saying things about having an even worse day than he was having before, and trying to bargain for his life.

"Calm down, Shuuichi," said the man, patting his hand in the air and sheathing his sword. "I'm not here to kill you."

"H-h-how do you know my name?" demanded Shuuichi, his eyes searching for the nearest blunt object. "And what are you doing in my house?"

"It's called a Soul Burial," droned the man, sitting down on the couch. "If you want to pass on, it's got to be done."

"Pass on?" said Shuuichi, raising an eyebrow. "The hell are you talking about? Pass on what?"

"Passing on. Crossing over. Going into the light. Going to heaven. Whatever you wanna call it."

"So you ARE here to kill me! Get away from me!"

"Fool, I can't kill someone who's already dead."

Shuuichi felt as if someone hit him in the head with a brick. "Dead? The hell? I'm not dead."

It was the other man's turn to raise an eyebrow. "You seriously haven't noticed? Look at your chest."

Shuuichi looked down and saw a metal plate on his chest. Sprouting from the plate was a short, broken chain. At first, he didn't know what to think. Was that always there? He gently tugged on the short chain, but the plate stuck fast.

"Since the accident was so violent, your chain of fate was broken in the same instant you died. You can't return to a body that had its major organs torn apart. And since the chain was broken so close to your body, erosion will be quicker. I should perform the Soul Burial before you turn into a Hollow."

Shuuichi felt like he was trying to understand a foreign language.

"Come again?"

The man laughed. "Alright. Listen. Quite simply, when that tree fell on your car, you died."

Shuuichi felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. He didn't want to believe it, but when he thought about his complete lack of injury, and how the entire inside of the car had been caved in… how _could_ he have survived?

"I'm a Death God. A Shinigami, if you will. It's my job to lead earthbound spirits on to the other side, through a Soul Burial."

"Wait, wait, wait. There's no way I can believe you. How can I really be dead? I don't _feel_ dead."

The Shinigami sighed. "This is always the hard part. Listen, when you're dead, the only people who can see you, are those with extraordinarily high spirit power."

"Kue saw me."

"No, she didn't. You just thought she was mad at you. She didn't even see you at all. And of course, you haven't been able to see me until right now."

"What the _hell_ are you talking about?"

"LISTEN, you idiot!" shouted the Shinigami impatiently. "I ain't got all day! Just let me do the Burial already and get it over with! I can't have you turnin' into a Hollow before you go to Soul Society!"

"Could you just speak English?"

After several minutes of shouting, Shuuichi heard the door open, and the sound of a rustling bag.

"Ha! See, Kue's home. She'll be able to see me."

As he stood up, Kue strode into the room, and Shuuichi approached her with his arms wide, ready to hug her.

"Honey, I'm sorry I late! I had an accident on the way…"

Kue walked right through him.

"…home."

"Told you so."

Shuuichi felt his legs shaking, and without warning, he collapsed on the floor crying.

"Hey!" said the Shinigami, taken aback. "What're you doing that for?"

So it was true! Was he really dead? Kue had passed right through his body. He couldn't believe it. The accident had... killed him. But...

"Stop yer whining!" said the Shinigami, as Kue sat on the couch, oblivious to the encounter in the middle of the room. "I deal with enough of that every day. You'll be happy in Soul Society."

"I don't want to go to 'Soul Society,'" cried Shuuichi. "I wanna be with Kue."

The Shinigami sighed and drew his katana. "Alright listen. Just stay still and be quiet, and everything will be alright."

Shuuichi didn't move, he just knelt on the ground shaking. The Death God just sighed and raised his katana, ready to get it over with.

And the wall exploded.

Kue screamed and dove behind the couch, and both of the spirits also leapt away. They heard a deafening roar from outside of the house through the broken wall.

"What the _shit_?" screamed Shuuichi, crouching behind the couch as well.

"The Hollow!" shouted the Death God, brandishing his katana as the dust cleared. "This thing has been after you for days. He's the one that smashed your car. Get out of here before it gets to you!"

Shuuichi gasped as the figure beyond the broken wall came into view. The thing was massive, and had a black, muscled body. It also had a bone-white mask, through which shone yellow glowing eyes. And it most certainly wasn't human.

"A Hollow?" breathed Shuuichi, but before he could say anything else, the Hollow made a lunge for the Death God, who jumped out of the way. The fist instead smashed through the adjacent wall, knocking it down completely. Kue shrieked again.

"Get OUT OF HERE!"

Shuuichi finally rose to his feet and made a dash for the newly-broken wall, but as he jumped through it, he heard Kue's whimpering and stopped dead. Kue was still behind the couch, not daring to go near the broken walls—which to her seemed to collapse completely on their own.

"Kue," said Shuuichi, starting back inside, but the Shinigami screamed at him again to stay out. The fight had gone to just outside the first broken wall, where the Shinigami tried desperately to at least slice of a limb of the Hollow. But the beast was amazingly strong, and the match was even.

For a long moment, Shuuichi simply stood there, not sure what to do. Run away from the Hollow, or protect Kue? If he ran away, he'd be safe, but Kue would certainly die. If he protected Kue, they would most likely _both_ die.

To him, it was simple.

He took a step toward Kue. "Kue..." But he stopped again. He had suddenly felt a tingling sensation around his chest, where the chain was attached. He looked down at the short chain, and in that instant, his body was consumed by excruciating pain.

All along the links of the chain, tiny mouths opened up and began chewing on the other links, gnawing them off one by one. The pain that wracked Shuuichi's body was the worst pain he had ever felt, beyond anything he could have ever imagined.

"No!" said the Shinigami, looking over at him. "Already, he's--"

A large black spike sprouted from the Death God's chest, and blood poured from the fatal wound.

"You dropped your guard," said the Hollow, extracting the spike from the Shinigami and changing it back into a normal hand. As the Shinigami began to fall, the Hollow suddenly leaped upon him, his mouth open wide.

Through the blinding pain, Shuuichi watched in horror as the Death God was consumed. He bent over and retched on the floor, from the pain and the horrifying scene. More and more links fell on the floor from his chain.

The Hollow sighed in contentment and looked over at Shuuichi, having finished his meal. "Delectable," he said in a deep voice. "And now that you are becoming one of us, how about joining me for another feast?"

Shuuichi knew he was talking about Kue. As he looked over at her, he also knew she didn't even know what was happening. She was completely defenseless.

Only two links remained on his chain.

_This can't happen!_, thought Shuuichi. He died, and now Kue was going to be eaten alive.

One more link remained.

He couldn't let it happen. He absolutely refused to become a Hollow! He would not eat Kue, and he wouldn't let anyone else… He loved her too much.

The last link of the chain fell from his chest, and it was followed by the metal plate, which rang through the room as it hit the wood floor.

_What the hell?_, was Shuuichi's first thought. The room had disappeared, and things had suddenly become serene. He was standing on top of a mountain, it seemed. The slopes of the mountain reached far, far down below and met water. The mountain was surrounded by a sea, in which other mountain islands reached up nearby. But this sea was yellow, like the sky it reflected.

"I didn't expect you to come," said a voice behind him. He turned abruptly to see a figure odder than the Shinigami. A tall man with stark white hair and baggy white clothes was perched on a rock, and his shoulders were wreathed in a blue mantle. Behind him, a sheer cliff dropped off into the sea.

"Who are you?" demanded Shuuichi. "And once again, what the hell is going on here?"

"It is all happening too fast for you, I understand," said the figure. "As for who I am, my name is… No, not yet. You will learn it in time."

"nd where am I?"

"This is the essence of your soul. When visualized, this is what the inside of your very soul looks like. Since your soul is about to be terminated, you came here as a last attempt to save yourself."

"I did? I don't understand."

"You are about to become a Hollow. If you do not wish to become a Hollow, you must listen to what I say. Every soul has a power within them that resists the power of a Hollow. Those who find that power can stop the process. Few manage it, though."

He held up a plain, white box.

"This is that power. All you need to know is, if you can obtain this power, you will not become a Hollow. Do you have the determination to survive?"

"Of course I do," said Shuuichi, holding out his hands for the box.

"Do you have the determination to save Kue?"

Shuuichi stopped at the mention of his love. And this man's expression... it was almost sad. Like he felt inside at the mention of Kue coming to harm.

"Then catch."

The man tossed the white box over his shoulder, and it plummeted down the cliff face. Shuuichi gasped, but did not move. How could he get it now?

"What are you waiting for? If you wish to save Kue, get the box before it touches the sea. Or else, this world will crumble, and your heart will perish. Kue will die."

Shuuichi sucked in his breath and ran past the man in white, leaping over the cliff. For a long moment, the air just seemed to suspend him. He looked down what seemed to be a mile to the sea below. The box was already far below him. And he knew there was no going back.

He began to plummet, and he tumbled over in the air, screaming. The world was turning over and over around him and the wind was whistling in his ears as he fell. He was going to die!

What was he thinking? Kue was about to die at the hands of a Hollow beast, and he was being a coward. The box was his salvation. More importantly, it was Kue's salvation. If he could catch the box, Kue would live. Whoever that man was, he was right. If he really wanted to save her, he needed to be determined.

Shuuichi held out his arms, trying to stop from tumbling over in the air, and when he stopped spinning, he looked down to see that he was already halfway down the cliff. The white box was below him, spinning in the air. He angled his body downward and straightened out as much as he could, lowering air resistance.

As he shot downward like a javelin, he cast off all fear of hitting the water below. He focused entirely on the white box, and it seemed to float slowly toward him. The water was drawing nearer, but he held his legs and arms in tight, shooting straight toward the box.

At last he reached out his arms and grasped the white box, grinning in joy. As he squeezed it, the lid flopped open, and he set his eyes upon the hilt of a sword. The rest of the katana was hidden in the darkness of the box, as if it opened on a hidden—and much larger—dimension. A 40-inch long sword appeared to be resting comfortably in a 12-inch wide box.

"Hurry!" came the voice of the man, resonating from inside the box. Shuuichi nodded and grasped the hilt of the katana, pulling as hard as he could. As the blade slid free of the box, the yellow sea rose up quickly to meet him.

Shuuichi grasped his sword tightly and leaped forward. The Hollow, which had started forward, hesitated for a moment at Shuuichi's sudden transformation. That was the end of him.

As the Hollow froze, Shuuichi brought his katana forward and drove it as deep as possible into the Hollow's forehead. It roared and thrashed about, and the startled ghost hung on tightly to the hilt of his sword as he was thrown around. At last, the katana slid free of the bone mask and Shuuichi hit the wall hard.

It hardly seemed to faze him though, and he scrambled quickly to his feet and leapt back at the Hollow. It looked up in surprise just a moment before the top half of its head was sliced clean off. It started to fall backward, but halfway to the ground, its image shook, and it faded away.

Shuuichi stood for a long moment, panting, and he looked down at his sword. He had wielded it with more skill than he thought he possessed. And he also noticed that his clothes had changed. He was wearing heavy black robes, the same as the Death God that had been there before. It could only mean one thing.

Shuuichi had become a Shinigami.


	2. Second Song

The five psychological stages of death. Apparently people go through them when they are laying on their death bed. What amazed Shuuichi was that he was experiencing those five stages… even after his death.

Denial had been easily defeated when he saw the ambulance crew extracting his own dead and crushed body from his car. He saw it with his own eyes, about a month ago. After that though, he blazed through anger and bargaining rather quickly to settle into depression.

Once again, Shuuichi Ito sat out on the porch of his house at night, remaining silent. He listened to the wind sighing through the trees, and his heart felt as if it were blowing away like dust in the wind. He wore a light black kimono, and a sheathed katana was in his sash, though he didn't know exactly where either of them had come from…

Kue was inside crying again. For the past month, it had been like this. Kue seemed to be walking around in a dream, never speaking to her friends, and hardly ever leaving the house except for work. She just stayed at home and stared at the wall, and cried.

And Shuuichi couldn't talk to her. He couldn't comfort her. He couldn't even hold her. He was far too dead to do that.

A month ago, he had been killed instantly in a car accident. He became a spirit, and discovered that his death had not been an accident. A large dark spirit called a Hollow had killed him, and it was after him and Kue's souls.

He was told this by someone called a Shinigami, or Death God, who had appeared to help him pass on. At first he couldn't believe it, until he saw the Hollow with his own eyes. It killed the Shinigami, and came after Shuuichi and Kue, but at the last moment Shuuichi somehow gained an amazing amount of power, and killed the Hollow.

A Shinigami… He had heard many fairytales of the Grim Reaper, but he never thought that he would appear in the form of a human in a kimono with a katana. He wished he had had more time to ask this "Shinigami" more questions before the Hollow attacked.

He thought that by defeating the Hollow, everything would go back to normal. He was wrong. He was still dead, in the end, and nothing would change that. A day after the incident, Kue found out about her boyfriend's death, and week later attended the funeral. Ever since then, it had been like this.

Though Shuuichi and Kue were right next to each other, they were both utterly alone.

Shuuichi sighed and looked down over his knees at the dark ground. He didn't even notice the approach of a strong spirit force from before him. Only when he heard the snap of a twig did he look up abruptly.

He jumped to his feet and whipped out his katana. He couldn't see anything, but now that he concentrated, he could distinctly feel a strong spirit force from behind one of the pine trees.

"Put away your Zanpakutou," came a female voice from the darkness.

"First of all," said Shuuichi, "I don't even know what that is."

"The sword you hold."

"Oh. Well then, no, I won't."

He saw a short figure in black robes step out from behind the trees, but remained on the edge of the darkness, also with a katana strapped to her hip. She had large eyes and short black hair.

"I am not your enemy."

Shuuichi lowered his sword, but remained wary. "A… Shinigami? I thought there was only one…"

"There are many people who die in the world. One death god would hardly be able to handle that… I am one as well, as are you."

Shuuichi's eyes widened, and he looked down at his sword. "I'm a… Shinigami?" He had been considering the possibility for some time, that he had become the same as the previous guy. After all, he now wore the same clothes and possessed a similar sword.

He slowly put his katana back in its sheath. "And… a 'Zanpakutou,' you say?"

"It means 'Ghost Cutter,' or 'Soul Slayer.' It is the weapon of a Shinigami. How you came to become one, I do not know, but I have orders to bring you back to Soul Society."

"Maybe you should check to see if any Hollows are about," remarked Shuuichi. "Last guy who tried to do that Soul Burial thing got skewered."

She smirked. "There are no more Hollows here. And now that you are a Shinigami, a Soul Burial will not even be required. I will take you directly the core of Soul Society. Normally, through Soul Burial, the souls of humans go to a place called Rukongai, which lay on the edge of Soul Society. Death gods, however, belong in the center, in the Court of Pure Souls, Seireitei."

"And I suppose you will be taking me there?" Shuuichi looked behind him, through the window. Kue was sitting on the couch, her head in her hands. "Kue doesn't even know I'm here. How can I be with someone who thinks I'm no longer a part of this world?"

"You aren't," said the Shinigami. "What is your name?"

"I'm Shuuichi Ito."

The Death God began walking forward, and Shuuichi gasped. Now that she was in a better light, he noticed that she was truly very young. She had to have been only sixteen or so, a few years younger than him! The last Death God had been much older.

"My name is Rukia Kuchiki, of 13th Squad."

"You're a Death God?" said Shuuichi. "You're so young."

Rukia chuckled. "I'm older than you can imagine. Are you ready to go to Soul Society?"

Shuuichi looked back into the house one last time, then nodded to the young Shinigami. Rukia turned away and unsheathed her own sword. She held it up before for a long time, concentrating.

Shuuichi took a step backward when the katana began glowing a bright red. Rukia pulled the sword back as if to strike, and slowly extended. Shuuichi's mouth fell open; the sword seemed to simply vanish away from the world as she extended it, as if slipping it into a fold in dimensions.

"Unlock!" she shouted, turning the sword like a key. The air around the sword bent and bubbled, as if it was radiating an enormous amount of heat. Then what seemed to be wood materialized around the sword, and two large sliding doors appeared, closed upon the katana. The doors slid open, and Shuuichi saw another pair of doors behind them.  
"Come, now," said Rukia. "It's time to go. These doors go directly to the Court of Pure Souls, and can only be opened by Shinigami."

Shuuichi warily stepped inside the first pair of doors, and they snapped shut behind him. Looking around, he seemed to be in a small hut of some kind in his own front yard.  
Rukia stepped forward, and the second pair of doors slid open. Shuuichi had to cover his eyes, for the light beyond the doors was blinding. The two stepped out into the light, and when Shuuichi's eyes adjusted, they met an astounding sight.

Soul Society was nothing like he had imagined! It was like an ancient Japanese village, complete with samurai-like Death Gods walking to and fro.

"Soul Society is commanded by the Thirteen Court Squads, each with its own Lieutenant and Captain. I am part of the thirteenth squad. Interestingly enough, you are the first Shinigami to appear, and not belong to a squad."

"Will I meet a captain here?" asked Shuuichi, still craning his neck to take in all the sights. Likewise, Shinigami everywhere were tapping each other on the shoulders and pointing at the Shuuichi, and staring at him.

"Normally, it is quite some time before a Shinigami can actually meet a captain. However, your situation is interesting enough to command their attention. I am ordered to bring you before my own captain."

Shuuichi suddenly felt very nervous. He was being brought before one of the 13th Captains. If Soul Society was heaven, would that make the Captain a god?  
"Who is he?" asked Shuuichi.

"Captain Juushirou Ukitake."

"Should I be nervous?"

"Absolutely."

Shuuichi sighed, not sure what to say. "Thank you for being kind. I'm very confused."

Rukia smiled. "I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. The Captain is a kind man."

When the doors of 13th Squad slid open, they found someone already waiting for them. He was a tall, severe-looking man with dark hair, and Shuuichi instantly shrunk back from the man's imposing glare.

"What're you so worked up about?" said the man. "Hey there, Rukia."

"Lieutenant Kaien," said Rukia, bowing, her eyes glowing with admiration. "I have brought the man, as requested."

"Thanks," said Kaien, and he extended a hand toward Shuuichi. "I'm Kaien Shiba, Lieutenant of 13th Squad."

"Hi," said Shuuichi, reaching to shake the hand, but Kaien abruptly pulled his hand away.  
"Perhaps you didn't hear me," said Kaien. "I'm _Lieutenant here._ I suggest you should show some respect, you little brat."

Shuuichi shrunk back, and quickly bowed. "Umm, nice to meet you, Lieutenant. My name is Shuuichi Ito."

Kaien smiled and winked at him. "I was just joking! Think of me as your new friend. Now then, Rukia, I'll take him from here."

Shuuichi sighed and started off with Kaien.

"Umm," began Rukia, and Shuuichi saw that her cheeks had become a little redder. "May I accompany you, Lieutenant?"

"If you want," said Kaien, still smiling. "Come with me then. I'll take you to Captain Ukitake."

They went down the hall some distance, and Shuuichi walked between Rukia and Kaien. After a short walk, they came to a large door that was adorned with the letter 13.

"Captain Ukitake! I'm here with Shinigami!"

"Yeah," came a voice, "come on in."

When they entered, Shuuichi was once again surprised. Instead of a large, golden throne in a clean, amazing hall--like he expected--the room looked quite ordinary. It even looked a little messy. A man with long white hair was laying down in his bed at one side of the room, reading a book.

"Sorry," said the Ukitake, sitting up. "I suppose maybe I should have cleaned up a little. Haven't been feeling that good lately."

"Sick again, Ukitake?" chuckled Kaien, having a seat in the middle of the room. Shuuichi and Rukia followed. "You really ought to get checked out."

"I'll be fine," said Ukitake, standing up quickly. "I've pulled through before, and I'll continue to pull through."

Shuuichi's mouth was hanging open again. _THIS was the Captain?_ He had most certainly expected more from one of the thirteen rulers of Soul Society. His mouth promptly snapped shut as Ukitake approached. It seemed as if a heavy pressure suddenly fell down over his body, and he seemed to have trouble holding himself up.

"Easy there, boy," he heard Ukitake say. "Looks like my spirit power might be a little too much for you."

The pressure let up a little, and Shuuichi saw that Ukitake had stepped back a short distance and sat down on his bed.

"You must be the newbie."

Shuuichi nodded. "I'm Shuuichi Ito. Nice to meet you."

"He learns fast," remarked Kaien.

"If you don't know already," said the Captain, "I am Juushirou Ukitake, Captain of 13th Squad. We've been tracking you for a couple days. Word is that you died a month ago and your chain of fate was broken. A Shinigami from 8th Squad went to perform Soul Burial, but was killed by a Hollow before he had the chance. Shortly after, your chain of fate eroded, and you began to revert into a Hollow yourself. Somehow, you instead became a Shinigami.

"You even crafted your own Zanpakutou from your own spirit energy. A feat like this has never been done before, and we're all curious as to how this came about. Unfortunately, I don't quite have the expertise in this field. It's a good thing I invited someone who does."

As if on cue, a call came from outside the closed door.

"Oy, Ukitake, you called?"

Rukia frowned, looking at the door.

"Enter," said Ukitake.

When the door opened, Rukia gasped, as did Shuuichi. Yet another Captain was standing in the doorway, this one appearing a bit older. He had shaggy, light blonde hair, and a little stubble on his chin.

"Aha!" exclaimed the new Captain. "Nice to see you again, Rukia! And Kaien, a pleasure as always, my boy."

"Captain Urahara!" said Rukia cheefully, turning on her knees to bow to the second Captain.

Urahara nodded brightly at Rukia, then turned upon a dumbfounded Shuuichi.

"Judging by this one's face," said Urahara. "This must be Soul Society's newest Shinigami. I am Kisuke Urahara, Captain of 12th Squad. A divine pleasure to meet you!" He swept into the deepest bow that Shuuichi had ever seen, as if he was greeting some great emperor. Rukia sighed exasperatedly.

Shuuichi couldn't help but smile. Despite the presence of two of Soul Society's rulers, he felt very relaxed. Captain Ukitake was quite friendly, and Captain Urahara seemed--dare he say--somewhat silly. Perhaps Soul Society wouldn't be that bad of a place after all.

"Ah, Rukia-san!" said Urahara brightly, a smile spread across his face. "It's not polite to sigh at a Captain, dontcha know."

Rukia just shook her head, sighing. Kaien was shaking his head too, grinning.

"Oh how my humor does go unappreciated," sighed Urahara. "Just what will I do, Juushiro?"

"How much longer are you going to carry on, Urahara?" said Ukitake, smirking and raising an eyebrow.

"Ah yes." Urahara plopped down on the floor where he stood and scooted closer to Shuuichi. "Seems I must take a look at this here Shinigami."

Shuuichi cringed as he drew closer, expecting a huge pressure to fall over him again, but he was surprised when he felt almost no spirit pressure weighing him down. It seemed Captain Urahara was withholding his power willingly so as not to put any pressure on Shuuichi.

"So," said Urahara, suddenly very serious. "You say he became a Shinigami at the moment when plus souls usually deteriorate into Hollows you say? True this has never really happened before."

Urahara stared at Shuuichi for a long time, to the point that the young Death God began to feel quite uncomfortable. The Captain scratched his chin in thought, his eyes going up and down his body, analyzing his spirit force.

"His soul sleep is generating quite a lot of spirit power. Only one in a few thousand humans actually has this power within them. In fact, since the Quincys were wiped out, I've hardly seen any at all. Every human soul has the power of a Death God within them, but it usually takes hard training to actually be able to become one."

"So why did it happen with this man?" asked Ukitake.

"To put it plainly, luck," said Urahara. "Most plus souls with this kind of power successfully receive a Soul Burial from a Shinigami and are sent to Rukongai. Unfortunately, Shuuichi here failed to receive one, and thus began to revert to a Hollow. Souls are more likely to develop spirit power when they are in danger of termination. Under both the threat of the Hollow that was present, and the threat of actually becoming a Hollow, Shuuichi's spirit power grew exponentially in an extremely short amount of time.

"Because of this, Shuuichi was more easily able to tap into his Shinigami powers—under extreme duress rather than extensive training. It is most likely for this reason that Shuuichi was able to transform into a Shinigami and create his own Zanpakutou in response to the two threats."

"Well, that's quite an interesting situation," said Ukitake, staring up at the ceiling. "And of course, if it happened once, we might expect it to happen again."

"Yes, we might," said Urahara, smiling and considering the possibilities.

"The question is now, what do we do with Shuuichi? I would think since he has already become a Shinigami, we might place him in one of the Squads and--"

"Ah, but that won't do," said Urahara. "Despite having obtained his Shinigami powers, he still is uneducated in the actual ways of the Shinigami. Without that knowledge, he would be dead weight. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to enroll him in the Central Spirit Technique Institute."

"I'm going to school?" blurted Shuuichi, confused.

"Shinigami Academy," said Urahara, grinning. "You are to learn the four central practices to being a Shingami: Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohou, and Kidou. Swordplay, hand-to-hand combat, footwork, and demon arts. Without at least some knowledge of those four areas, a Shinigami is essentially worthless."

"Right then," said Ukitake. "Looks like it's decided. "Shuuichi Ito. You are to be enrolled in the Central Spirit Technique Institute and be fully educated as a Shinigami. If you successfully complete the stages, you will be inducted into one of the 13 Squads.

"Now then, Kaien, would you be so kind as to escort him, please?"

Kaien, Shuuichi, and Rukia all stood, leaving the two Captains to talk alone. The three of them walked to the front door of Squad 13's building, where Rukia stayed behind.

"Rukia!" Shuuichi called back. "Thank you. I hope to see you again!"

Rukia waved him goodbye and disappeared into the building. As he and Lieutenant Kaien walked away, Shuuichi found himself smiling.

"So, what do you make of this, Captain Urahara?" asked Ukitake as he laid back in his bed.

Urahara leaned against the wall, mulling things over and smiling to himself.

"Interesting. Very interesting, indeed."


	3. Third Song

WARNING: Contains language and spoilers up to about episode 50, and the identities of Rukia's and Kaien's Zanpakutou.

"I don't quite get it," said Shuuichi again to his partner, Toushiro. "It seems like footwork shouldn't be that much of a deal for Death Gods."

"Dumb kid," said the teacher, coming up behind him and smacking him on the head. "Listen, Hohou is just as important as the other three areas, so you should devote yourself."

"I'm just thinking that swordplay would be more important," said Shuuichi, rubbing his head and turning toward the teacher.

"Oh really," said a voice behind him. Shuuichi gasped, and rubbed his eyes, realizing the teacher was no longer in front of him. Shuuichi slowly turned on the spot to see his teacher right behind him.

"It doesn't matter how good you are with the sword," he said. "I could have killed you with a kitchen knife right now. If you learn to be fast, you will be unstoppable. Captain Kuchiki can unsheathe his sword, run 80 yards, and kill a Hollow so fast, he wouldn't even appear to move a muscle. Now, shape up! There's a Captain coming for inspection tomorrow, so you had better be on your best behavior!"

As the teacher walked away, Shuuichi said, "It's always about Captain Kuchiki with that guy. You'd think he was in love with the guy."

"Well, he is the Hohou instructor, and Kuchiki's probably the best Shinigami in that area," said Toushiro, digging in his ear with his pinkie. "And he is right, you'd be well off learning footwork too. You don't want to fall behind."

"Easy for you to say, Hitsugaya. You've been blazing through every class so fast, I wouldn't be surprised if you became Captain straight out of graduation."

Hitsugaya just laughed. "I highly doubt it. Anyway, I need to talk to you after class, I just found out something really cool from my Zanjutsu instructor."

It had been a long time since Shuuichi had been enrolled in the Shinigami Academy, perhaps several decades. He received top marks in his swordplay and hand-to-hand combat classes, and average marks in Way of the Demon classes. Unfortunately, he still struggled with footwork. His teachers blamed it on a lack of concentration.

He had had trouble fitting it at first, but after a few years he had found many good friends. Upon first entering, he was the only student who already had a Zanpakutou upon entering, and so he stuck out like a sore thumb.

He was tormented a lot by students young and old, and as such his grades suffered. When he found more students to get along with, he did much better, and half way through school he befriended Hitsugaya. Toushiro Hitsugaya started many years after Shuuichi, but caught up to him so fast, many of the senior officers were impressed.

Both Shuuichi and Hitsugaya were in their final year now, and Shuuichi was getting along very well. Hitsugaya was excelling in every area of Shinigami training. In the Demon arts, he could even perform Six Light Rod Prison almost perfectly, and that was a spell taught only to officers in the 13 Squads.

Tomorrow was the next Way of the Demon class, but it was also the next inspection by one of the 13 Court Captains. It would be the last inspection for Shuuichi in his education, so--like his Hohou teacher had said--he had to be on his best behavior.

Shuuichi also visited Squad 13 whenever he had a chance, since that was what he was most familiar with. He often felt intimidated by Kaien; since Captain Ukitake had a weak body, Lieutenant Kaien was mostly in charge. However, he often visited Rukia, and the two had become quite good friends.

"What squad would you want to join when you graduate?" asked Rukia as the two sat under a tree in 13th Squad.

"Am I allowed a choice?" asked Shuuichi.

"No, at least not normally. Graduating Shinigami are recruited by one of the 13 Squads. Kaien recruited me, and my friend Abarai was recruited by Captain Aizen of 5th Squad, before being transferred to Squad 6."

"I think if I had a choice, I'd join 13th Squad. I mean, you and Kaien are my good friends, and Captain Ukitake is a very nice Captain."

"Of course, not all Captains are very friendly," said Rukia. "You've had the fortune of meeting some of the better ones."

"Tomorrow is the next Captain's inspection. So far, I haven't actually seen any of them, since I've been in classes, but there are rumors that he will be visiting my Way of the Demon class."

"Which Squad is he from?"

"3rd Squad. His name's... Ichi... Ichi..."

"Gin Ichimaru. He's quite a mystery. He always kind of stays back in the shadows, and his intent in important matters isn't always clear. He seems friendly enough, but most the know him say its simply dark sarcasm. If he only visits for a short time, everything should be fine. However, if you cross him, I'm sure he wouldn't mind dealing out proper punishment."

"Rukia!" came a call from behind them. They turned to see Lieutenant Kaien leaning out of the door. "There's a report coming in. About that Hollow showing up outside Rukongai. Hey there, Shuuichi. Anyways, we might need you in a second."

"Be right there!" said Rukia brightly, and she stood up. "I should probably get going then, Shuuichi. You might have heard already, but there's a Hollow that's come into the Soul Society world, and has so far resisted Shinigami. It's said the Hollow has successfully killed all the Death Gods coming after it. 13th Squad is considering organizing a reconnaissance team. Personally, I'm hoping not to get chosen for the team..."

"Well, you should probably get going then," said Shuuichi, smiling at her. "I should get ready for class tomorrow. It was great to come and talk to you, again."

Rukia left him then, and ran toward Kaien. Shuuichi had noticed that Rukia always seemed to be much happier around Kaien, and he was beginning to suspect something more than what it appeared. Perhaps Rukia truly had feelings for her Lieutenant? But Kaien was married to the 3rd seat officer, Miyako...

Shuuichi watched as Rukia happily accompanied her Lieutenant into the building, and he found himself frowning. He stopped for a moment in thought, then shook his head in denial, and turned to hastily make his way back to his room in the Academy.

So Rukia had a crush on Kaien. At first, he didn't know what to think about it. Of course, it wasn't unusual. Younger officers often looked up to their superiors, so it wasn't surprising if feelings like that developed. That wasn't what bothered Shuuichi, though. When he thought about Rukia having feelings for Kaien...

He found he was jealous of Kaien.

"Okay, now!" shouted the Way of the Demon instructor as the class lined up on the practice field. "We're having a special guest later on, so I want to see the best spells yet! Today is a very special advanced class, and so we have a Lieutenant present for safety reasons. Today, I want you to perform..."

He paused dramatically and pointed at the lone white dummy in the middle of the field.

"Bankin!"

The class gasped, and even Shuuichi's mouth dropped open. Bankin was a three-part spell usually reserved only for top level Shinigami. It was a powerful Binding spell that usually resulted in the complete annihilation of the target. To have Shingami-in-training perform such a spell during class was beyond Shuuichi's comprehension.

"I heard about this," said Hitsugaya, standing next to him. "My friend Momo graduated a while ago, and she said that it was normal for the graduating class to perform an advanced spell at least once during the year. It's what separates the good Shinigami from the bad."

Shuuichi was feeling extremely uneasy. His marks in the Way of the Demon were only average, and if what Hitsugaya said was true, then it was likely only those who at least partially succeeded in Bankin would pass the class. After all, being a Shinigami was a serious job, and Soul Society could only have the best.

It didn't help that the first student's Bankin was way off the target--the giant stone block of the final part came crashing down a good thirty yards left of the intended target, and the other parts of the spell were only barely accurate.

The next three students came close, but none actually hit the target, and it wasn't until the sixth student that he dummy was actually hit. The dummy was hit by the very edge of the block, but it was enough to smash it to pieces. After the dummy was restored, there were two more students, then it was Hitsugaya's turn.

"Final song, Bankin Taihou!"

The giant stone block came smashing down directly on top of the dummy, completely obliterating it. The class even cheered at Hitsugaya's perfect Bankin spell. Shuuichi sighed, and knew he couldn't hope to come close to that.

The next student's Bankin was so horrible, that the first two parts of the spell didn't hit the target at all. When the final part came crashing down, it was headed straight for the rest of the class.

Shuuichi screamed and tried to stumble to his feet, but he knew he couldn't get away in time. The rest of the class, screaming, knew the same thing.

A tall, blue-haired man stood up at that moment, and he looked quite calm. He simply waved his hand at the stone block, and it shattered into dust. The screams ceased, and the man yawned and sat back down.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," said the teacher. "Now, Karomi, I highly suggest you not attempt that spell for the rest of your life. Next!"

As the next few students went, Shuuichi gazed over at the blue-haired Lieutenant for a long time. He didn't recognize him, and he couldn't make out the number on the adjutant insignia on his arm from that distance. The man had a little stubble on his chin, and his eyes were piercing orange.

"Lieutenant?" he mumbled. "Of what squad?"

"Shuuichi Ito!" called the teacher, and Shuuichi gasped and leapt to his feet.

"Sir!" he called moving forward through the class to the front. As he stepped onto the field, his legs began shaking. The white dummy was standing innocently before him. If he didn't succeed with this spell, he might not graduate. They might take his Zanpakutou away and put him out into Rukongai...

"Shuuichi, do the spell already!"

Shuuichi jumped and nodded, going down to his knees. He tried to concentrate as much as possible, the spell running through his head. He remembered studying it, and he was fairly confident he would be able to pull off the first two parts. It was the last part of the spell he was worried about.

Shuuichi dug the tips of his fingers into the ground before him. "Way of Binding number 99, type 2! Bankin!"

Shuuichi felt the spell activate, and he tried to stop trembling. It was now or never...

"First song, Shiryuu!"

A bundle of white cloth materialized between his hands, and shot forward, wrapping perfectly around the dummy, and holding it fast. Shuuichi smiled confidently, and he allowed himself to relax a bit more.

"Second song, Hyakurensan!"

Poison-tipped darts appeared all around the dummy and shot deep into it. It would be more than enough to immobilize a living opponent.

And now Shuuichi hesitated. The final part of the spell was by far the hardest, and he had to do it perfectly. He had to do it like Hitsugaya...

Shuuichi clapped his hands together and said, his voice trembling, "Final song, Bankin Taihou!"

The giant stone block appeared above them all and came down. Shuuichi gasped, and he could already tell his aim was way off. It was much to close to them; forget hitting the target, it was coming for the class. He was the second student to fail so miserably.

He heard a groan, and out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw the blue-haired Lieutenant stand up again.

"No, wait!" shouted Shuuichi, reaching out a hand toward the block and focusing all of his spirit power upon it. The class gasped as the block abruptly changed direction, shifting away from the class. And to Shuuichi's great surprise, it came crashing down directly on top of the dummy.

Shuuichi just stood there for a long time, and everyone was silent. He couldn't believe what just happened.

"Yes!" he shouted, jumping up and down. "I did it! I did it, I did it! It was such a hard spell, but I did it!"

He stopped cheering when a knee hit him hard in the back. He screamed and bent over in pain; that was a hard hit. He rubbed his back and turned around, fuming.

"Why the hell--"

He came face to face with the Lieutenant, who glared down at him.

"Are you trying to make a fool out of me, you little worm?" he sneered in a cold voice. "Being very brash, aren't you?"

Shuuichi saw that the insignia on his arm had the number 12.

"12th squad. So you're... Mayuri?"

The blue-haired Lieutenant thereafter kneed Shuuichi directly in the face, splaying the young Shinigami's nose over his face.

"Lieutenant Mayuri Kurotsuchi, you ignorant son of a bitch. Maybe they didn't yet teach you proper respect for your seniors here."

Mayuri then kicked Shuuichi repeatedly in the stomach, and as he lay on the ground helplessly, the class was deathly silent. No one even dared to laugh or to cry out in protest. Shuuichi could only take the beating.

"Now now, Mayuri, that don't look like the proper way to treat a young 'un."

Mayuri stopped abruptly and turned around. Shuuichi squinted up from the ground to see a tall figure in white robes. He had short white hair, and a fox-like face, a grin present.

"Captain Ichimaru," said Mayuri bowing respectfully, if not grudgingly. "I was simply putting a brash student in his place."

"Well now, by the looks of his Bankin, he's most certainly Shinigami material," said Ichimaru, simply grinning mysteriously. "We can't be inducting someone into the 13 Squads who's all bloodied up and broken."

Mayuri growled under his breath as Shuuichi sat up and scooted away from the two.

"This is the kid that supposedly created his Zanpakutou with his own spirit power. He doesn't even know how to use it properly."

"Oh?" Ichimaru turned to the young man. "Created his own Zanpakutou, you say? Sounds mighty interesting. Tell me, boy, do you know the name of that there sword?"

Shuuichi looked down at the sword on his hip, then back up at the Captain, dumbfounded.

"Tsk, tsk. That won't do at all. Maybe you're right, Lieutenant. A boy who's had his Soul Slayer for this long and can't even bring it to Shikai... Perhaps he's not material for the 13 Squads after all."

"W-W-Wait," said Shuuichi, rising to his feet, and trying to stem the flow of blood from his nose with a tissure.

"How about it, boy?" said Mayuri, glaring. "Can you do Shikai for us?"

Shuuichi froze on the spot. Of course he knew what Shikai was; it was the release of a Zanpakutou into its next highest form. Every death god of the 13 Court Squads are required to use Shikai. He had seen Rukia's many time before when Hollows appeared in Soul Society, the beautiful white "Sode no Shirayuki." It wasn't until a Huge Hollow appeared that Kaien released his "Nejibana" into its elegant trident form for his Shikai.

But Shikai was a different story now; he was still in the Academy. In order to release, he would need to know the sword's name. He would need to communicate with it. He hadn't done that for ages. Not since he became a Shinigami in the first place.

He slowly unsheathed his Zanpakutou and held it before him. Everyone was watching; his whole class, his teacher, a Lieutenant, even a Captain. They were expecting him to do this. If he wanted to graduate, he had to do this. He simply had to.

"Took you long enough," said a voice from the sword. "I was beginning to think you forgot about me."

Time seemed to freeze around him, and everything faded to grey. Before him, the figure appeared. The same figure he had seen when he almost became a Shinigami, complete with blue mantle.

"He's right, you know," said the figure, gesturing over his shoulder at the fox-faced Captain. "If you want to be a true Shinigami, you must cooperate with me. Mayuri understands his sword. Ichimaru understands his. You have been too distracted to call upon me."

"You never told me your name," breathed Shuuichi.

"You never even asked in the so many years that have passed. I can only tell you my name if you wish to cooperate with me. You must tell me... what is it that you wish?"

Shuuichi hesitated for a moment. In all the years that had passed in the Institute, he had never even asked himself that question. What did he want? Why did he want to become a Shinigami in the first place? Was it for power? For strength? What was it?

And it came to him, slowly. The image came to him of Kue, crouching behind a couch. The image of the Shinigami being skewered by the Hollow. If he had not become a Shinigami, then Kue would have died too. In fact, if he had not become a Shinigami, Shuuichi might have even assisted in Kue's death.

And he knew that he never wanted that to happen. Not to anyone.

"I want to become a Shinigami... to protect."

The figure smiled.

"I almost became a Hollow, and Kue almost died. I want to stop that from happening. I want to stop people from being killed by the Hollows. If I can do that, then I will do it."

"A good reason," said the figure. "Although, you still have a long way to go. You may not yet fully understand the Shinigami and Soul Society, but you have at least earned my name. Remember it, and perhaps I will teach you more in the future..."

Shuuichi sighed deeply, and Ichimaru smiled even more when he felt an increase of spirit force coming from the young man. Mayuri just scowled. Shuuichi raised his Zanpakutou before him, and called out in a loud voice:

"Bare your fangs... Kirunami!"

Mayuri stepped back as the Zanpakutou exploded in a magnificent white light, and Shuuichi whipped it about him as it rapidly changed form. The blade split in two and twisted around above the hilt like two steel vines.

The class gasped as the light faded and Shuuichi's Shikai was revealed. The Zanpakutou was now made up of two curved blades, which curved outward, away from each other on the hilt and joined up again at the top. It formed an elongated oval shape.

"Kirunami, eh?" said Ichimaru, appearing completely unsurprised. "Nice name. See, Mayuri, I told you he had what it takes. He most certainly is material for the 13 Court Guardian Squads."

"Shuuichi Ito," said the man in the doorway as Shuuichi leapt from his bed. The hallway outside was very noisy, and there was a great commotion. He had been quite the talk of the school since his Shikai a week ago, but this was something different.

"You have a visitor," said the man, and he quickly moved aside. People outside were peering to the right, down the hallway, and pointing.

"Well, I was hoping for a quiet entrance," said a voice as it approached the doorway. "I suppose you can't have everything you want."

Shuuichi instantly recognized the voice, and sure enough, when the figure stepped into the door, the young Shinigami snapped into a bow. The Captain before him seemed amused, and the men behind him stood blank-faced. Over his shoulder, Shuuichi could see Lieutenant Mayuri scowling more than he had ever scowled before.

"Well, Shuuichi," said Urahara. "I've heard great things about you. Word is, you achieved Shikai only the other day with your... Kirunami, is it?"

"Yes, Captain," said Shuuichi nervously.

"Hey, no need to be so nervous, boy! After all, we're comrades, now!"

"We... we are?" asked Shuuichi nervously. Was it possible?

"Of course! Looks like you're graduating a bit early, Shuuichi Ito. I came to welcome you to 12th Squad."


	4. Fourth Song

Contains spoilers up to episode 63.

Urahara stood in his research room silently, facing a short stone pedestal. Next to him, a dark-skinned woman with purple hair likewise was deathly silent. Before them on the pedestal sat a small, dark object the size of a marble.

"Yoruichi," said Urahara silently, gripping a broken sword in his right hand. "What can I do now? I can't... I can't do it. It broke my Benihime..."

"Not even a Captain's Zanpakutou could..." whispered Yoruichi. "We're running out of time, Urahara. Whatever we must do, we must do it quickly."

"Our enemy is probably already searching for it. No doubt you've heard about the new Hollow that has appeared nearby."

"I investigated it, yes," said Yoruichi. "I encountered it in the woods just the other day, along with two fellow officers. This Hollow... its abilities... they're not normal, even for a strong Hollow."

"What do you mean?"

"I thought I could beat it easily and quickly, but I was wrong. As soon as I touched it with my bare hand, my Zanpakutou disintegrated before my eyes."

"What?!" exclaimed Urahara. "Your sword... it..."

"It can't be helped now," said Yoruichi. "Compared to the Hollow's second ability, the loss of my Zanpakutou is a laugh. This Hollow... it merged completely with one of my officers."

At this, Urahara was truly speechless.

"It went inside of one of my officers, and forced her to kill the other one. I barely escaped with my life. Urahara... _He_ made it, didn't he?"

"Undoubtedly. This Hollow was manufactured, that's clear enough. No Hollow, no matter how strong, would have natural abilities like that. You're right. We're not safe anymore. What will we do, then?"

"You have no choice but to hide it," said Yoruichi, staring down at the dark marble.

"I understand," sighed Urahara, gritting his teeth.

Shuuichi carefully placed the last of his clothes in the drawer in his new room in 12th Squad, and sat down on the bed. What a month it has been so far! Only a short while ago, he had still been enrolled in the Shinigami academy, and struggling to succeed.

But--under the duress of the 12th Squad Lieutenant and 3rd Squad Captain--he had succeeded in releasing his Zanpakutou, Kirunami, into Shikai. It wasn't long after that that Captain Urahara approached him about an early graduation, and he was inducted into the 12th Court Guardian Squad.

To be honest, he had somewhat hoped to be put in 13th Squad, where he was most familiar, but he had met Captain Urahara before, and knew that being in this squad wouldn't be as bad.

So he thought.

The door slid open, and when Shuuichi recognized the man standing in the doorway, he cringed. This blue-haired, orange-eyed man was now his Lieutenant, but Shuuichi already couldn't stand the man.

"So," said Mayuri. "It appears that the Captain has taken a liking to you, Shuuichi Ito. Of course, I'd like to warn you that that doesn't mean _I_ have to like you. Although..." He grinned wickedly. "As I have been told, you became a Shinigami completely independently. Using your own spirit power, you crafted your own unique Zanpakutou. Very interesting."

Shuuichi desperately wanted to tell Lieutenant Mayuri to leave, or at least demand what he wanted, but it was certainly not his place to do either. He suspected that Mayuri had only come to intimidate him.

"If you hadn't passed the Academy, I was considering researching you. After all, it's not every day you see a Shinigami appear out of thin air."

"Research me?" stuttered Shuuichi. "I don't understand."

"I suppose you don't know. I am Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Lieutenant of 12th Squad, but also... Technological Development Bureau Chief, along with Captain Kisuke Urahara."

"Technological development?" echoed Shuuichi.

"Research specialist of Soul Society, that's right. And keep in mind, that even though you belong to 12th Squad now, if you cross me..." He stepped forward and leaned toward Shuuichi, a menacing look in his eye. "...I would not at all mind taking you apart."

With that, Mayuri turned on his heel and left the room, leaving Shuuichi sitting on his bed, shaking. Mayuri had certainly sounded honest, and his spirit power was nothing to be messed with. Maybe 12th Squad wouldn't be so great after all.

Shuuichi sighed and walked to the door, peering outside to make sure Mayuri was well and gone. When a fellow Shinigami walked by, Shuuichi called out to him.

"Excuse me. I don't suppose you could tell me where I could find Captain Urahara?"

Shuuichi nervously knocked on the heavy metal door, and he promptly heard it unlock.

"Come in," he heard the Captain say, and Shuuichi pushed the door open. He was inside Urahara's own research facility. It was very cramped, and mechanical instruments were piled everywhere. It was very dark, but for a dim blue light from the far end of the room.

"Excuse me," he heard Urahara say again, and the lights came up fully, illuminating the room. Urahara stood at the far end of the room, in front of a short pedestal.

"What can I help you with, Shuuichi?" he said, walking up to the young Shinigami.

"I just came to talk."

"Lower officers aren't usually permitted to visit their Captains on any whim," said Urahara. "Have you been told that?"

"Yeah," said Shuuichi nervously. "I-I'm sorry, I just--"

"Do not worry about it. We're comrades now, remember? Come with me, I can even give you a tour of the research facility if you wish."

Shuuichi nodded. "Okay."

Urahara took him on a slow tour around the facility, and he pointed to a stack of black doll things against the wall. They were flat, and had the abstract shape of a human form; they only seemed like cardboard cutouts, and they had many colors striped down it.

"This here, you may recognize, is a gigai," said Urahara, bending down and tapping one. "Also called a 'faux body.' When a Shinigami goes inside this, it changes its appearance to that of the Shinigami itself. It's a fake body that Death Gods use when their powers are depleted and they are forced to return to a lesser form. That way, they can regain their energy."

"Yeah, I've heard of it," said Shuuichi. He pointed to another stack of dolls, these ones white. "And what are these?"

"Oh, yes. These are little devices of my own invention, very similar to a gigai, designed especially for the Special Mobile Corps. It is called a 'spirit transfer shell.' It's used to materialize spirits that hide their human forms."

"I don't understand."

"Shuuichi, even you must realize that there are spirits in this world that do so. Think hard; you've been contact with one."

Shuuichi gasped and looked down at his Zanpakutou. "Kirunami?"

"Exactly. If you use your sword on this doll, your Kirunami would take a human form in this world."

"What is it for then? I mean, why would one want to do that?"

Urahara just grinned and led him on to the next thing. There were many odd devices, from the most mundane, to the most extraordinary, and he left out few details one what his research products could do.

"This here," he said once, pointing to a small metal object, "I made for a good friend of mine. Using it allows you to take the form of a small animal at will. If it is implanted, all you have to do is think of changing form."

Shuuichi nodded enthusiastically, but he was still preoccupied. He hadn't come here to tour the research facility, after all. But now that he was walking around with his Captain, he felt too nervous to say anything.

"What's wrong, Shuuichi?" he asked, and the young Death God jumped. Urahara was looking down at him knowingly.

"I... I was concerned about something, Captain, but I didn't know if I should..."

"Speak, young Shuuichi," said Urahara, pulling up two chairs and sitting in one. "We can't be holding secrets between comrades."

"It's Lieutenant Mayuri, sir."

Urahara raised his eyebrows, then sighed. "He is giving you trouble."

"I... I don't like him, Captain Urahara, sir. He never seemed to like me, and more than often, he's given me death threats."

"That is his way, I suppose. Though I research technological things like this, he enjoys studying living beings. He's recently been searching for another Quincy to study, to delight in taking apart... To be honest, if he wasn't my Lieutenant, I would want to kill him."

Shuuichi was taken aback. "Sir?"

Urahara just laughed it off. "I've never liked him, but his expertise is valuable to Soul Society, and I can't just get rid of him for the simple reason that I don't _like_ him. Though, you should be wary. If you do make him angry, I'm sure he probably would kill you. The simple remedy: don't make him angry."

"It doesn't seem I have a choice, sir. He's angry at me, no matter what I do."

"Still, you must obey him. The day may come that I will be gone, and he will take my place as Captain. Still you must obey him."

"I hope that day never comes."

"Same here. But, it will come. Some day."

Shuuichi sighed, and looked down at the floor. He knew Captain Urahara was right, but it made him somewhat angry that someone so cruel as Mayuri could become a Captain of Soul Society.

He looked above him, where another doll was suspended on the wall above an empty stone pedestal. It looked like a gigai, but it was bluish, and a small dark marble was set in the center with a small crystal case around it.

"What is that?" he asked, honestly curious.

Urahara gritted his teeth. "I'm afraid I have to go back on my words about keeping secrets. That gigai is very special to me, and I cannot tell you what it really does. I advise you not ask again."

Shuuichi nodded, lowering his gaze. He flinched when Urahara set a hand on his shoulder.

"Do not worry. I see you have friends in Soul Society, that will help you through. I've seen that you've grown quite fond of Miss Kuchiki as well."

Shuuichi blushed, and Urahara grinned wider.

"If that is all, perhaps we should leave. 13th Squad has a recon team leaving tomorrow, and I'd like to go and wish them luck."

Urahara rose and led Shuuichi from the facility, and they parted ways. Shuuichi had a lot on his mind as he returned to his room. And once again, as he lay down to sleep, he found Rukia rising to the top of his mind once again...


	5. Fifth Song

Contains spoilers up to episode 73.

Captain Ukitake and Lieutenant Kaien ran across the grass sideways, facing each other, the former gripping his Zanpakutou tightly.

"What's wrong?" mocked Kaien. "Why aren't you attacking? I think I know why."

Ukitake frowned, sweat beading his forehead. Kaien just grinned wickedly. His skin was a pale green, and his eyes were missing, with just two glowing white dots staring out of the eyes sockets. They were the only lights in that dark night.

"You're trying to think of a way to get me out of this body. Don't waste your time! I'm a spiritual body, he's a spiritual body. It's a perfect spiritual transfusion! We will never be separated!"

Ukitake frowned, and in a flash, he leapt forward and drug his sword across Kaien's exposed neck. The Lieutenant screamed as blood squirted from the wound, and he stumbled away.

"I see, then I have no choice," said Ukitake. "I will cut you along with Kaien's body."

"Are you serious?!" said Kaien, astounded, still holding his wound. "You're going to cut your own subordinate?"

"Yes, I will! I will not let the likes of you take Kaien's body!"

Ukitake leapt forward again and cut his Lieutenant right down the middle, before Kaien jumped away. Kaien leapt high into the air, soaring up toward the nearest ridge.

"I won't let you escape!" shouted Ukitake, gripping his Zanpakutou, but as he started forward, his body was wracked with pain. He bent over and coughed up a handful of blood.

Not now, the Captain thought. Please not now... He fell to his knees and coughed as blood spilled to the ground. Why now?

Then he looked up as Kaien went leaping up over the ridge in the forest. Another figure was there, waiting for him. It was a small girl with black hair, holding a Zanpakutou, terrified.

"Fool! Why did you come back?!" screamed Ukitake, and rose to his feet and ran as fast as his feet would carry him.

But Kaien was descending upon the terrified Rukia, laughing. It was a laugh that simply delighted in murder, delighted in absolute chaos. Kaien descended on her, and red tentacles were reaching out of his mouth and empty eyes, grasping for her.

At the last moment, Kaien thrust his chest forward as Rukia just stood there, and the Soul Slayer went right through. Rukia's eyes were wide as Kaien's blood flecked her cheek.

As the rain began to pour down, Kaien was slumped over Rukia's shoulder, the blade sticking out of his back.

"Captain... Thank you... for letting me fight." Kaien's eyes had returned to normal.

Ukitake was standing a short distance away, blood trickling out of the corners of his mouth, and his eyes dark.

"Yeah..." the Captain mumbled.

"Kaien," said Rukia, her voice shaking. "Did you do this on purpose?"

"Kuchiki," said the Lieutenant, fading fast. "I dragged you into this mess and got you in this awful situation. Sorry, it must have been hard on you... Thanks... Because of you, I can leave my heart here..."

Kaien went limp, and Rukia started shaking. She let out a cry of despair that made the night itself weep down on them.

Shuuichi nearly broke down his door, running through the hall as fast as he could. A couple girls nearly fell over as he plowed right past them, and he swerved to avoid knocking a sandwich out of the 5th officer's hand.

As he ran, Lieutenant Mayuri stepped out from behind a corner and began to speak, but Shuuichi just ran right past, paying no attention to the Lieutenant. He heard Mayuri call after him, but the young Death God just didn't care.

He had just received a letter, and upon reading it, had nearly had a heart attack. He couldn't possibly believe it was true. There was no way that it was true.

"Attention," the letter had said. "13th Squad, last night, suffered major casualties from a Hollow, following a reconnaissance mission. Twenty Shinigami were killed, including 3rd seat officer Miyako Shiba and Lieutenant Kaien Shiba."

Kaien... killed? It couldn't possibly believe it, couldn't even comprehend it. But he knew that the reports were always accurate. And if the Lieutenant himself was killed, what of Rukia? Was she alright too?

Shuuichi rushed out from the 12th Squad's house, catching many of his fellow Shinigami by surprise. As he drew nearer to 13th Squad's house, he saw that things were hectic. There was a small crowd outside the main doors, and Shuuichi just bent down and plowed through them, rushing in the main doors. Inside, medical teams were racing to and fro, and the young Shinigami looked wildly around through the confusion.

Two approached him: Kotetsu Kiyone and Kutsobaki Sentarou, two of Kaien's friends in 13th Squad.

"You shouldn't be here, we're too--"

But he cut them off. Down the hall, he saw a familiar black-haired girl walk out of one of the medical rooms. The Shinigami attending to her called after her, but she just waved them off and walked out of sight, without looking at anyone.

Shuuichi shouldered past Kiyone and Sentarou--to their protest--and continued down the hall, moving past stretchers and many 4th Squad nurses. Rukia was already far out of sight, but Shuuichi followed where she had gone, and found himself on the back step of the squad house.

This wooded area--with a little stream running through--was often where he, Rukia, and Kaien had sat to talk. It was devoid of life, but for a small figure crouching against the far side of one of the trees next to the stream.

"Rukia," whispered Shuuichi moving forward, but he felt a hand on his shoulder. He jumped and turned, then respectfully bowed when he recognized Captain Ukitake. He looked pale, and most certainly not in his best condition.

"Captain Ukitake," began one of the nurses behind him, but he respectfully dismissed her and pulled Shuuichi closer.

"You do not know what happened, do you, Shuuichi Ito?"

Shuuichi gulped, and said, "Kaien was killed."

"Do you know how?"

Shuuichi found that his body was shaking, though he was uncertain why. He shook his head.

"I'll tell you plainly," said Ukitake, his voice weak. "Kaien's wife was on the recon team that investigated the Hollow. The Hollow… took control of her and traveled back here."

Shuuichi gasped, but Ukitake only bent closer.

"Miyako was consumed, and the Hollow's next puppet was Kaien."

Shuuichi's mouth went dry, and his heart skipped a beat. Kaien had been... possessed by a Hollow? Was that even possible?

"There was nothing any of us could do. There was no way to force the Hollow from his body. Rukia was forced to kill him. So I suggest you leave her be."

Ukitake walked away, holding his mouth, and Shuuichi was left standing there, outside the house. His mind began to swim, and he almost fainted where he stood. Rukia killed Kaien? Not only was his death impossible, but the fact that Rukia was the one to kill him... such a thing was absurd to believe.

Shuuichi leaned against he doorframe, trying to right his mind, but his mind seemed to completely abandon him, and he bent over, his body shaking. He might have blacked out then, he couldn't be sure. Perhaps it was only that he was so shocked, he lost some of his memory.

But, the next thing he knew, he was standing next to the tree, next to Rukia. She would not look up at him.

"Rukia..." mumbled Shuuichi.

She didn't even move a muscle. She didn't even acknowledge his existence.

"Rukia," he said, more forcefully.

She shifted uncomfortably, then just sunk lower, hugging her legs.

"Rukia!" he shouted, and he dropped to his knees and grabbed one of her hands in both of his.

She looked up at him, as if just noticing him for the first time. Her eyes were dark and empty, as if something had stolen all the life from them. Tears were flowing silently down her cheeks and soaking her robes.

"There was nothing I could do," said Rukia in barely more than a whisper. "I just stood there. I just stood there."

"Rukia, it'll be okay," Shuuichi found himself saying, even though he didn't mean to say anything. "Everything will be fine."

"I watched him as it all happened. I watched as he was taken over. I loved him."

The words drove a spear through Shuuichi's heart, and he leaned closer, beginning to cry as well.

"Please, Rukia, be strong. I don't like seeing you cry."

Rukia seemed confused by the words. "Be... strong?" She just stared at him.

And Shuuichi leaned forward and pressed his lips against Rukia's. He didn't even want to know why he did it; he just knew that he was suddenly kissing her. He felt her lips against his, but she didn't even seem to move a muscle. She didn't press forward, or pull back. She just let him kiss her.

He slowly pulled away, letting his lips stick to hers for just a little while longer, then leaned back to see Rukia's face. She looked exactly the same, if not even more sad and lost. She just stared at him, and the tears had not even stopped flowing.

"I'm sorry," said Shuuichi. "That was rotten."

And he ran. He got up and ran, around the 13th Squad house, and out into the streets again. He stared straight forward, and he felt his own tears running down his cheeks. He gathered stares, and he heard people shouting his name, but he didn't even care.

He just ran, and ran, and ran, until his legs felt as if they would just collapse on him. When he finally stopped, he was in the main wooded area of the Court of Pure Souls, in the center of Soul Society. When he finally stopped, his legs bent and he let himself fall face forward onto the grass.

And he just laid there and cried. He wailed with no care as to who or what was listening. He didn't care if all of Soul Society was listening in on him at that moment. He just cried and pounded his fists on the ground.

How the hell could he have done such a thing? He completely disregarded Rukia's pain, because of his own selfish love! How despicable he was! He didn't blame Rukia at all if she just never wanted to see him again...

His crying died away, and he curled up in a little ball on the ground, sniffling. He just wanted to disappear. He just wanted to fade away, and not cause anymore pain to anyone. It was all just because he was in love with Rukia...

"Aw, how sweet."

Shuuichi froze, hugging his legs in close. He hardly dared to move. Those words had only just been on the limits of his hearing, barely more than a whisper on the wind, but they were there. His despair was washed away in a sudden storm of fear.

There was a spirit force hovering about this area. He couldn't pinpoint exactly, but he felt someone nearby, hiding most of their spirit force. As he focused, the force hid itself even further, and he strained all of his being in to hanging onto it.

It felt familiar. He knew he had felt that presence before, but he felt it so weakly now, he couldn't put a face or name to it. And where was this person? He slowly raised his head and looked around, but of course saw nothing, as he expected. He was being stalked.

And judging by the words that he had heard, he had been stalked for quite a while.

The spirit force finally disappeared. Whether it was hidden beyond his senses, or whether the person had left, he couldn't tell, but he could no longer pick up on the signature.

He sat for a long time, hardly daring to move from where he was. Was he still being watched? Who was stalking him?

After a long half hour, he slowly rose to his feet and shuffled away from the forest, looking over his shoulder. He didn't sense anything more for the whole time back to 12th Squad, and when he finally arrived back in his room, he shivered and shut his door tightly.

"Poor little boy," said Urahara, staring up at the blue gigai above the pedestal. "He's locked himself in his room for a long time now."

"It seems his feelings for that 13th Squad girl have taken its toll," said Yoruichi, her arms crossed. "He has a strong spirit, though, if his heart is weak."

"She has a strong spirit, as well. But I wonder... I fear that Shuuichi is in danger. Perhaps he has caught on to us. Perhaps he knows that Shuuichi has seen this gigai. It is lucky for us that only I have the key to this place."

Yoruichi nodded, but remained silent.

"Yoruichi," said Urahara quietly. "Do you trust me?"

Yoruichi seemed confused by the question. "Of course I do."

"I trust you as well, Captain Yoruichi Shihouin. You are my best friend. I believe we are just short on time now. I think I may have no choice now…"

Yoruichi sighed and looked down at the floor. "I will remain by your side, my friend."


	6. Sixth Song

Shuuichi heard a knock on the door, but he just remained curled up in his bed, not moving or making a sound. It had been that way for quite some time now. He never answered the door anymore, and he never left except to get food.

He hadn't gone to see Rukia at all. He didn't dare.

Squad 13 was still in shambles, with the loss of a Lieutenant, and the 3rd seat. Shuuichi had only heard word that the place of Lieutenant was being filled by Sentarou and Kiyone, who were both promoted to 3rd seat. He had heard nothing about Rukia Kuchiki, and he was hoping he never did.

He couldn't forgive himself for his selfishness and foolishness. He hoped he would never have to see Rukia again.

He heard the knock again, accompanied by a voice, "Shuuichi Ito!"

He cringed, recognizing the voice. The voice continued to shout until at last, the door came crashing open. Shuuichi was facing the wall as the angry strides came toward him.

A hand grabbed him roughly by the back of his robes and threw him off the bed and onto the floor. He stared up blankly into Lieutenant Mayuri's fierce eyes, and his heart sank even more. The heartless Shinigami simply stepped on his chest and pressed down, and Shuuichi grimaced.

"When your Lieutenant calls you, you answer," said Mayuri, "you foolish little boy. There is a mission for 12th Squad, so you better hurry along."

Mayuri stepped off and walked out of the room.

Shuuichi rose to his feet and scowled at the door. The Lieutenant's behavior was growing increasingly annoying. He had only been angry at Shuuichi when he was first inducted into 12th Squad. Since then, it was as if he was not even worth getting angry at. Mayuri spoke to him as if he was a lower life form, like some helpless amoeba sporting black robes and toting around a sword it didn't even know how to use.

That attitude scared Shuuichi more than when Mayuri was angry. Mayuri didn't mind killing lower life forms at all.

And still, he remembered the words Captain Urahara had said to him, on that day in the research facility:

_"The day will come that I will be gone, and he will take my place as Captain. Still, you must obey him."_

That day will never come, Shuuichi told himself. He promised himself he would rather be killed in battle than be a servant of Mayuri Kurotsuchi. But he sighed, sinking deeper into his depression as he thought. The choice wasn't up to him, he supposed. Even if Mayuri did become Captain, there was nothing he or anyone could do about it. Still, he would have to obey.

Shuuichi rose to his feet and halfheartedly tucked his Zanpakutou into his robes, shuffling out of the room.

"Bare your fangs... Kirunami!"

Shuuichi's Soul Slayer snapped into Shikai as he leapt at the Huge Hollow. It managed to dodge to the left, and the young Shinigami soared harmlessly over it. The gigantic Hollow turned as he descended and slammed him in the back. He yelled in pain and fell to the ground as the other Death Gods crowded around.

"Step back, you weaklings," said Lieutenant Mayuri, stepping forward and unsheathing his Zanpakutou. The Huge Hollow turned slowly to face Mayuri, and the other Death Gods backed away. He held his sword out before him and called out to it.

"Scratch out, Ashisogi Jizou!" Shuuichi gasped in horror as the sword slowly faded into its Shikai form. The guard was replaced by a large golden face, and blade also became gold colored. Two smaller golden blades protruded from base. A soft purple smoke was seeping from the mouth of the face.

The Hollow roared and punched forward with its right arm, but Mayuri leaped easily out of the way and traced a long line up the beast's arm with his Zanpakutou. As it roared and pulled back, the blue-haired Lieutenant leapt right past the Huge Hollow, making a small cut in its left thigh.

The Hollow stumbled for a moment, then went down like a rock, pinning its own left arm under its massive body as it fell over the cut leg. It kicked out with the working leg, but its right arm wasn't moving at all.

Shuuichi grimaced at the horrible work of Ashisogi Jizou. That cursed sword completely disabled movement of whatever part of the body it cut, no matter how small the wound. He watched as Mayuri--looking almost bored--jumped over the downed Hollow and nicked the working leg on the thigh, and the limb instantly went dead.

And Mayuri just laughed, sticking the blade deep into the kneecap of the Hollow's right leg. Since the blade's ability wasn't technically paralysis, the Hollow could still completely feel pain in the disabled limbs. As the Hollow screamed in agony, Shuuichi almost felt sorry for it.

The Lieutenant stabbed it a couple more times, testing to see which spots caused the most pain. It was as if he was performing an impromptu experiment right on the site of a battle.

"Lieutenant, stop!" shouted Shuuichi suddenly and angrily. Everything went silent, apart from the Huge Hollow's continuing moans of agony. Mayuri stared for a moment with his orange eyes, then sighed and walked up toward the Hollow's head. With a single lazy slice of Ashisogi Jizou, the mask was broken, and the beast dissolved into darkness.

Mayuri locked his gaze back on Shuuichi and walked toward him. He snapped his sword in front of him, and it returned to its normal shape. The young Shinigami braced himself as Mayuri raised his free hand.

The next thing he knew, he was on the ground, his jaw exploding with pain. The world spun around him, and he distantly heard the nervous murmurs of his fellow Shinigami.

"Are you making a fool out of me once again, Shuuichi Ito?" he heard Mayuri say. "I don't appreciate being told what to do, especially by a subordinate."

He looked up in time to see Mayuri's sword coming down at him, and he watched as the blade passed right through his forearm and into the ground. He screamed wildly, thrashing about, but the blade pinned his arm fast to the ground.

"And if I hear one more protest like that, believe me, I will strangle you with my bare hands."

Before he could scream out any more, Mayuri's foot came fast toward his face, and all went black.

Mayuri grinned down at the unconscious Shuuichi.

"Perhaps the little brat could use a little alone time."

Shuuichi blearily opened his eyes, and at once he felt again the amazing pain in his arm. His wounded arm was sitting in a small pool of blood, and it was still bleeding from the horrible wound. Shuuichi quickly sat up and fished into his robes for cauterizing medicine and applied it as quickly as possible.

He had already lost a lot blood though, and he felt weak. He felt like he barely had the strength to stand.

"Amazing," grumbled Shuuichi. "I died and ascended, and still I bleed."

There was no sign of his fellow Shinigami. He was alone in the grass where they had fought the Hollow, and he hadn't yet been taught how to return to Soul Society on his own.

"Just great. Just when I thought things couldn't get worse."

He jumped when he heard a sudden beeping sound. At first, his mind just raced, but he quickly recognized it as his spirit phone. Every Shinigami that went to the living world was equipped with one, no matter how low on the ladder they were.

As he took out the cell phone-like gadget and flipped it open, data appeared on the screen.

"Orders?" said Shuuichi incredulously, groaning. "I get left here by myself by a merciless Lieutenant, and they say 'Oh hey, while you're down there, wouldya mind going to kill that there Hollow?' They don't even send someone down here to get me? I suppose that's all that bastard Mayuri's doing. Geez, who the hell do they think I--?"

He stopped abruptly in his angry tirade to stare at the address. It somehow looked familiar. How could it? He had been in Soul Society for such a long time, and hadn't hardly been to the living world since he came there. Then the only address he would recognize would be...

Shuuichi gasped. "Kue!" He leaped to his feet, finding his strength renewed, and leaped into the air, flying over the fields with blinding speed. He wasn't far away, only about ten miles, which could be covered quickly by a Shinigami.

Kue...

For all the time that he had been in Soul Society, he had completely forgotten. How long had it been since he had seen her? How long had it been since he had died and left her all alone? Was she still crying?

Those thoughts raced through Shuuichi's head as he flew through the air, past the farms and fields, and he saw his old house in the distance. He saw--on the edge of his vision--a large, dark figure approaching the back door.

"Kue!" Shuuichi called out, touching the ground again and leaping back into the air. Thoughts of Mayuri, or Rukia, or Soul Society at all had flown from him. He could only think of Kue. He could only think of that night when the Hollow had attacked, and Kue was helpless behind the couch.

"There it is," said a voice in the back of his mind, which he knew well. "There is that resolve."

Shuuichi was confused at first. "Resolve?" he asked the voice. "I don't understand."

"It has been dark inside your heart for too long. Have you forgotten your promise? The promise you made to yourself, and to Kue, and to me?"

And Shuuichi remembered. He remembered what he had promised himself the day he achieved Shikai. He remembered, as he watched the Hollow smash through the back door. He heard the distant scream, the familiar voice of someone he had forgotten.

"I want to protect," said Shuuichi, focusing on the house. He was still a long distance away, and the Hollow was already inside. Would he make it in time?

"The resolve to protect the innocent," said Kirunami from deep inside. "Hurry!"

"My arm is weak," said Shuuichi, feeling the weight that was consuming his left arm from the wound.

"Believe in me," said his Zanpakutou. "Believe in me, and you shall prevail."

He landed right outside the back door, and looked in through the massive hole in the wall at the horrible sight. The Hollow was standing in the middle of the room, turned away, standing amidst the debris of the living room. An unconscious girl was face down on the floor nearby. Shuuichi recognized the hair.

It was Kue.

As anger rose within him, he saw that another person stood in the room, an older man with black hair was in the next doorway, staring in horror at Kue's form. The Hollow was already reaching for him.

"I want to protect!" shouted Shuuichi, raising his sword fast. "Bare your fangs, Kirunami!"

"Listen closely," said Kirunami, "and you will prevail."

The words flowed into Shuuichi's head, and he nodded, slashing forward with his sword.

"Shibarikomu Kawa!!" he shouted and the blade glowed blue. A stream of water shot from the twin blades and spun around the Hollow, forming a rope-like shape. The Hollow struggled as the water tightened fast around him, but it was no use. In only a few short seconds, the beast was held fast by the water curled around him.

Shuuichi took the opportunity as the Hollow's arms were pinned down, and he leapt across the room and stabbed forward, hard. The blade sunk deep into the bone mask, and came out the back of the Hollow's head.

The beast was gone even before Shuuichi touched the floor.

He rounded quickly to run to Kue, but the other man was already there. He crouched over her body, and gingerly placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Kue?" he said. "Kue, speak to me!"

He turned her over, and he gasped, falling to his knees. She was more than forty years old. She was so much different than Shuuichi had remembered her. Of course, Shuuichi thought. It's been decades since I went to Soul Society...

And as he stared in disbelief, he heard another person enter the room. A teenage girl peeked in the doorway at Kue and the man.

A tear ran down Shuuichi's cheek. The young girl had the characteristics of both Kue and the man kneeling over her. She was their daughter...

And as he looked back at his former love again, he felt as if his heart would simply fall out of his chest and dissolve. The light in Kue's eyes was completely gone. He was too late; the Hollow had got to her first. Kue was dead.

Shuuichi bent over, grasping his hair with his hands, and it felt like the world was once again crashing down on him. Tears were flowing out of his eyes, and he began to sob.

"So now you know what it's like."

Shuuichi sniffled, trying to hold back his tears, and he looked up. Across the room, past the dead Kue and sobbing man, Rukia stood in the hole in the wall. He didn't know what to do, or what to say.

That face was still sad, still devoid of joy. Her eyes bore into him, stared just as they had on that day. Her lips... He had...

"You know what its like to lose someone you love."

Shuuichi's heart quaked as Rukia circled around the couple and approached him. He felt like he didn't deserve to look her in the eyes, but he couldn't take his gaze away anyway. Rukia stood next to him and stared down at him.

"Rukia, I'm--"

"Don't," Rukia cut in. "I understand. And I forgive you. You care about me, I know that."

"Is it..." Shuuichi began, uncertain how to begin. "Could we still be friends?"

Rukia didn't answer. She just stared sadly at him.

"As a Shinigami, you have sworn to protect." She looked down at Kue's body. "You did well this day. If not for you, her husband and daughter would have also fallen prey to the Hollow. You came as fast as possible. There is no blame on you."

Shuuichi was shaking his head, but he knew in his heart that Rukia was completely right. He came as soon as he had received the order, traveling as fast as possible, but by the time he arrived...

"I wish... I wish..."

"What you wish does not matter," said Rukia. "What you hoped is irrelevant. In the end, you can only do what you can do. If you are not strong enough, your can never reach your hopes..."

"Rukia..."

"This is reality, firmly rooted in the earth. You cannot be swayed by lofty, unattainable hopes."

"What do you wish, Rukia?" Shuuichi found himself saying.

Rukia looked back down at him, frowning. "I have already said, it does not matter. As a Shinigami, I have a duty. A duty to protect those that cannot protect themselves. If I let unnecessary feelings get in the way, it would be selfish of me."

"Rukia..."

Rukia looked away from Shuuichi and walked past him, to the corner of the room. He didn't turn to look her way until he heard another voice speak.

"Sh-Shuuichi…"

His head turned in time to see the ghostly figure of Kue in the corner, a metal plate and chain attached to her chest. Kue was looking right at him, and Shuuichi's eyes went wide.

"K-Kue!" he started, but Rukia had already raised her sword, and she pressed the end of the hilt to the forehead of Kue's ghost. There was a bright white light, and Kue was gone. A black butterfly fluttered by his cheek. A tear ran down his cheek, and he stared back at the ground.

"Now come on," he heard Rukia say, and her hand appeared before his face. "Captain Ukitake heard what happened and sent me to bring you back."

There was a long tense moment as Shuuichi stared at Rukia's hand. He could still hear Kue's husband sobbing over her body. He heard a piece of drywall fall to the floor.

Shuuichi nodded and took her hand, and she helped him to his feet. As he felt the touch of her hand, his heart leapt, but he tried as hard as he could to suppress the feeling. He wiped his nose quickly and dried his tears, and returned his Soul Slayer to normal. As they walked around the room, Shuuichi just stared down at Kue's body.

He still didn't know if Rukia's reasoning was right. He still thought that the emotions inside him were every bit as important as his duty as a Death God. He still wished he had more power… to protect the ones he loved.

As they stepped out of the hole in the wall, he heard a beeping again, and Shuuichi began fishing in his robes.

"It's mine," said Rukia, taking out her own spirit phone.

"Another Hollow?" asked Shuuichi, his heart sinking. Three incidents in one day would be a bit much.

"A call," said Rukia, and Shuuichi relaxed a bit. But the moment of easiness wasn't to last.

A minute later, Rukia froze, her hand tightening on her phone. Shuuichi looked over at her, to see that her eyes were wide open in horror, and a bead of sweat ran down her face.

"Rukia... what is it?" asked Shuuichi, and for a moment, she didn't make a sound. Then slowly, she pulled her phone away and flipped it shut. Even more slowly, she shifted her gaze over to Shuuichi.

"Two high ranking Shinigami have gone missing."

The words hit Shuuichi like a brick in the face.

"Missing? That's not possible... Wh-Who?"

"Yoruichi Shihouin of the Special Mobile Corps..."

"And? And?"

Rukia gulped once before answering. "Captain Kisuke Urahara of 12th Squad."


	7. Seventh Song

This fanfic contains spoilers up to episode 63. Beware!

Life sucked.

Ever since the day his Captain vanished from Soul Society, life sucked. In place of Urahara, the one and only Mayuri Kurotsuchi took over as Captain as 12th Squad, and research chief. The position in 2nd Squad was filled by its former lieutenant, Soi Fong.

Perhaps the only good thing that had happened in these past many years was that 10th Squad found a new Captain. The child prodigy--who had risen through the ranks at lightning speed--and Shuuichi's own friend from Shinigami Academy, Toushiro Hitsugaya, had become Captain.

Shuuichi didn't quite know the details, but Commander General Yamamoto eventually received a message from Urahara, and Yamamoto declared that Urahara would not be returning, and that no Shinigami was to hereafter look for him. Yoruichi's whereabouts were still unknown.

And since Mayuri became Captain, things had taken a turn for the worse. Most notably, his appearance changed drastically. Not only did he delight in experimenting on others, he also began to experiment on his own body. His body became a stark white, and his face was painted black. He put various instruments on his body, including two conical orange objects over both ears, which he could extend into weapons at will.

There were also rumors that both of his arms had machines installed in them, but Shuuichi had not personally confirmed this. And lastly, Mayuri had matched his new white Captain robes with a striking white hat with two sharp points off to one side.

Mayuri even created his own Lieutenant rather than appointing one. He used a gigai and dared to combine it with a powerful gikongan--a fake soul. In doing so, he created a completely artificial Death God. She was called Nemu Kurotsuchi, and was Mayuri's "daughter."

Shuuichi avoided missions if at all possible, for it wasn't completely unheard of for Captain Mayuri to use his own subordinates as weapons, often times with horrible consequences.

This time, though, he couldn't avoid it. As he sat in his room looking down at the paper, he knew it. Captain Mayuri had requested him on this mission, and to Shuuichi's dismay, Mayuri himself would be accompanying the squad. Apparently, a very important mortal was being targeted by Hollows, and it was 12th Squad's duty to protect this man.

But if the man was already being targeted, why were they only going to leave just now...?

Shuuichi sighed and retrieved his Kirunami once again from his bedside. He had to just weather it, as Urahara had said.

They finally came into the clearing, to see what lay before them. Five enormous Hollows stood in the clearing, and in the center of their group lay an old man, clearly dead.

"We're too late," mumbled Shuuichi, but already he heard Mayuri shouting orders from the back.

"Defeat the Hollows!" he shouted. "Let none escape!"

Five of the Shinigami in the group leapt forward, including Shuuichi. He quickly unsheathed his Zanpakutou and released it into Shikai as the group charged forward. The Hollows looked up from the dead man and roared as they came on.

Two of the Hollows went down immediately, sliced apart by the fierce 12th Squad Death Gods. Shuuichi cut into one Hollow's leg, and let a passing fellow Shinigami finish him off.

He spotted a Hollow that was trying to flee from the massacre, but Shuuichi wouldn't let him get away.

"First Song, Shibarikomu Kawa!" he shouted, and he slashed forward, releasing the thick water rope from his sword. It wrapped around the fleeing Hollow and stopped him in his tracks. It looked back at him, roaring.

"Second Song, Suiiki o Wakareru!" He shouted the name of his next attack, which he had recently learned. He slashed upward with his Zanpakutou and released a thin blue wave of energy. It passed right through the Hollow, splitting it right in half. The two halves fell away from each other as the rope disappeared, and the Hollow dissolved.

"Good work," said one of the Shinigami, "but we got here too late."

Shuuichi put away his sword and strode forward toward the body of the old man. He had thick gray hair and a thick moustache, and glasses. His heart sank at he looked down at the poor old man. Why had this man been so important anyway?

Then he saw it; there was a pendant hanging around the old man's right wrist. It was an ornate cross, beset with blue gems. He recognized the pendant immediately, he had seen it long, long ago, since before he was a Shinigami. This pendant was the keepsake of one of his old friends, the one who had taught him about spirit power.

"Ishida..." whispered Shuuichi. "Noriaki Ishida."

"What a shame," came the drawling voice of Captain Mayuri as he approached. "Now if you please, I would like you to collect his soul and bring it back to 12th Squad."

Shuuichi's face snapped up. "Do what?"

"I will hear no arguments," said Mayuri before turning and walking away. Shuuichi stared after him for a long while, and he didn't notice one of the Death Gods behind him putting on a red glove with a special symbol on it: a skull surrounded by black flame.

"Odd how his soul still clings to his body, even in death," Shuuichi heard one of the Shinigami say. "He really must be a Quincy."

Shuuichi gasped and turned around in time to see one of his comrades lifting Ishida's soul from his body, trailing a broken chain of fate.

A Quincy? The thought hardly dared to register in his mind. A Quincy was a powerful human, powerful enough to wield weapons made entirely of spirit power. There were many more of them a long time ago, and they were sworn enemies of the Shinigami.

When a Shinigami slays a Hollow with a Zanpakutou, rather than completely destroying it, he purifies it and sends it to Soul Society as a Plus Soul. The Quincys, however thought that this show of mercy to such a beast was unnecessary, and their mission was to just completely destroy Hollows.

With the amount of souls coming into Soul Society this way dropping and dropping, Soul Society became unbalanced and in danger of collapsing. The Shinigami had no choice but to annihilate the Quincys. Ever since then, the few survivors were kept under close surveillance.

The idea of a Souken Ishida, once Shuuichi's good friend, being a Quincy was almost beyond his imagination.

"Shuuichi," said one of the Shinigami. "Take us back."

Shuuichi didn't respond for a moment, then he quickly nodded and held up his Zanpakutou, as he had now been taught the technique. It began to glow red, and he thrust it forward, forcing the door to Soul Society to appear. Shuuichi then hung back as the others passed through, watching as the Shinigami holding Ishida's body passed by. Then Mayuri passed, and Shuuichi tensed up as the Captain gave him possibly the most hateful look he had ever seen.

Shuuichi peeked through the doorway into the holding cell. The guard on post was sitting on a nearby stool, looking down at his toes. It was his turn to stand guard, and Shuuichi had been waiting anxiously for it.

It had been almost a lifetime since Shuuichi had gone to Soul Society, and Ishida was now an old man. At least fifty years must have passed. Would Ishida even remember him?

He hopped into the room, and the guard looked up at him, bored.

"Finally," he said. "It's been boring as hell in here."

Without another word, the Shinigami stood up and strode out of the room. Shuuichi took his place on the stool and peered into the dark cell through the bars. He saw the old man sitting on a smaller stool, turned away. Shuuichi looked back to make sure the guard was out of hearing.

"Ishida," he whispered. The old man didn't make a move, and Shuuichi leaned forward listening. He heard steady, rhythmic breathing; the old man was asleep.

"Noriaki Ishida! It's me, Shuuichi!" he said forcefully, but tried to stay quiet. He saw Ishida jerk suddenly from his sleep and look around, disoriented. Then he very slowly turned around and gazed out of the cell through his spectacles.

The old man's eyes peered at him, and Shuuichi waited in anticipation.

"Noriaki?" said the old man. "That was my grandfather."

Shuuichi felt like he was hit in the face with a brick. "Grandfather?"

"My name is Souken. Souken Ishida. You knew my grandfather?"

Shuuichi sucked in his breath a little, memories flooding back to him.

"I see. You said your name is Shuuichi, yes? I remember my grandfather talking about you, long ago. You were one of his good friends. To think you would end up becoming a Shinigami…"

"Ishida," said Shuuichi, unsure how to begin. The first thing that came to mind was something that he had been dwelling over for some time. Quincy techniques were passed down from generation to generation. "How com he never...?"

"Told you he was a Quincy? You wouldn't have even known what it was, of course. And would you have even believed him if he had told you about their existence?"

"I suppose that's true. I didn't even learn about Quincys since after my graduation from the Academy. And I learned that the Quincys hate Shinigami. Then, Ishida..."

"I do not," said Ishida plainly. "I've never hated Death Gods. The extermination was over 200 years ago, far from my own life. Though I do wonder... Five Hollows appeared around me, and I tried to fight them off, but I couldn't do it. They weren't able to consume my soul, but it appears the Shinigami appeared just in time for me to have died, yet not my soul consumed. You arrived two hours after I began fighting."

Shuuichi gritted his teeth. This had bugged Shuuichi too. If Ishida was already targeted, why did Mayuri delay the rescue for so long?

He suddenly heard the door open, and Shuuichi spun to see Captain Mayuri enter the room.

"Now, now," said Mayuri, staring down his nose at Shuuichi. "We can't have this. I'm afraid I must ask you to leave, Shuuichi Ito."

"Why?!" demanded Shuuichi, leaning forward. In response, Mayuri unsheathed his Zanpakutou, pointing it at Shuuichi's throat. The younger Shinigami gulped and shrunk back, remembering the deadly effects of the Ashisogi Jizou.

"Don't question me, boy," said the Captain. "Leave now. I'm taking the old geezer here away."

Shuuichi wanted to ask, "For what," but decided against it. And as Mayuri stood there grinning, Urahara's words suddenly came back into his mind, and a sudden wild anger leapt into his heart.

_"He's been searching for another Quincy to study, to delight in taking apart."_

"You can't," growled Shuuichi, his fingers beginning to itch. One of his hands inched toward his Zanpakutou. Mayuri was going take away the grandson of his best friend…

"Oh?" said Mayuri calmly. "I can't? Scratch out..."

Shuuichi's breath caught in his throat, and he leaned way back in his stool.

"...Ashisogi Jizou."

As he leaned back, he watched the Zanpakutou lengthen into its Shikai form.

"Release of Soul Slayers is prohibited," began Shuuichi weakly.

"And you're going to report me?" mocked Mayuri, stepping around toward the cell door. "Is that okay to do for someone in your position?"

He pointed at the lock to the cell, and the door sprung open. Ishida rose nervously off his chair and backed away, but Mayuri approached him steadily.

"It's only you and the old man, Shuuichi. And I hardly think that..."

He broke off and suddenly stabbed forward with the Ashisogi Jizou, barely inserting the tip of the sword into Ishida's breast. Though the wound was less than severe, the old man shuddered and fell forward on his face as his entire body lost its ability to move.

"I hardly think that _he's_ in any condition to do anything about it."

"Ishida!" shouted Shuuichi rushing into the cell, but he stopped abruptly, seeing Ashisogi Jizou pointing directly at his throat. He had only just avoided impaling himself on the golden sword.

"And I've already said it: I would not mind at all taking you apart, foolish little boy . Have a seat."

He whirled the sword down, nicking Shuuichi's left leg before returning it into its normal form and sheathing it. The younger Shinigami, caught by surprise, fell to the floor as his stunned leg gave out. Mayuri chuckled and hoisted Ishida's limp body over his shoulder.

"Don't bother saying goodbye to your little friend here," said Mayuri. "Although you'll never see him again…"

Mayuri shrugged and walked out of the room, carrying along Souken Ishida's limp body as if it were no more than a pillow.

"Ishida! Ishida!" called Shuuichi, but it was too late.

Shuuichi was left alone, lying in the empty cell of his friend. After an hour or so, Shuuichi supposed his Captain was already studying the Quincy. Already, Souken Ishida was...

He burned with rage, and his spirit force was fiercely combating the poison in his leg left behind from Ashisogi Jizou. He wanted to leap up and run into Mayuri's room, to drive Kirunami right through his heart, kill him once and for all!

As the fire burned within his heart, he tried desperately to rise to his feet, but his left leg wouldn't respond at all to his mental messages. Red spirit force began streaming out from his body as his emotions grew wilder.

_Work, leg!_ thought Shuuichi desperately. _Work, damn it!_

As he grew angrier and angrier, the spirit force within him grew and grew, and even the bars of the cell began bending outwards, away from him.

"You really want to kill him, don't you?" said a familiar voice.

Shuuichi looked up, shocked, to see Kirunami standing over him. The man stared down at him with a small frown.

"You have grown so strong, Shuuichi," said Kirunami. "And yet, a single small bite from your Captain's sword renders you completely helpless."

"Help me," demanded Shuuichi, his spirit force flaring suddenly. The stool inside the cell suddenly bent and shattered. Kirunami stepped back, appearing disoriented from the spirit force for a small moment.

"That is no way to talk to a friend. Calm yourself for a moment."

"Please..." said Shuuichi. "Help me, please."

"Control your spirit force," his Zanpakutou replied. "Then _perhaps_ I'll help you."

Shuuichi growled and focused on the spirit force that was flowing out of his body and tried to hold it back. He focused on his leg at the same time, trying to put his spirit force in that part of his body. His foot twitched.

"Control yourself," said Kirunami, and as upset as he was, Shuuichi focused as hard as he could. The spirit force steadily lessened, and was put quietly under control.

Kirunami bent down and offered a hand to fallen Shinigami, and Shuuichi took it. As he rose to his feet, he blinked as Kirunami faded from existence. And he was standing there again, his left leg fully operational. The sword at his hip was flaring blue. He slowly unsheathed it, staring at the glowing blade.

"Thank you, my friend," said Shuuichi. "My mind is clearer now. I've decided..."

He broke off and held up his sword. "Bare your fangs, Kirunami!" The sword snapped into its released form, and Shuuichi did not hesitate to plunge it into the cell wall, blowing it apart. He leaped through the hole in the wall and took off down the road, away from 12th Squad.

"I've decided I've had enough."

Ishida was dead, even he knew it now. If he had the strength he could save his friend, but his Captain was just too powerful. He was no match at all.

So Shuuichi decided he would leave Soul Society. Just as his _true_ Captain had, for whatever reason.

Shinigami stared at him from all directions, but he ignored them, as always. His mind was set on the nearest Senkaimon, the gate to the real world. He had to make it there.

It happened halfway to the gate. He felt a presence again. Whoever it was, they were masking their spirit force. But still, Shuuichi could pick up on the person. He was being stalked again.

He stepped into the court, seeing the large, closed gate in the center. Only a few Shinigami lingered around the courtyard, which was fortunate.

Shuuichi turned around slowly, trying to pinpoint the location of his stalker. Even with how much he had grown since last time, he still couldn't trace the spirit force. It must have been a Captain... But, why would a Captain be stalking Shuuichi?

He growled. "Mayuri... It's you, isn't it? Haven't you tortured me enough?"

He thought he heard a light chuckle go past him on the wind, and he tensed up. He had to get out of here.

Shuuichi ran quickly to the Senkaimon and slammed his palm onto the activating plate, and a loud rushing sound from beyond the doors blasted forth. The few Shinigami in the court--the guards of the gate--yelled and rushed forward.

"First song, Shibarikomu Kawa!" Shuuichi yelled, and in three quick strokes of his sword, the guards were tied fast in the water ropes. The struggled, but the bonds were too strong.

Behind the Shinigami, there was a rush of wind and a fierce blue light, and he knew that the Gate had opened up. There was no turning back now.

He heard the chuckle again, and Shuuichi shivered. Most likely, he would be pursued in short time, so he had to find safety fast in the real world. And hopefully, his pursuer would not follow him through the Gate.

For good measure, Shuuichi ran around one of the open doors and slammed his palm on the plate again. On command, the doors slowly began shutting. Shuuichi ran as fast as he could, circling the closing door and running through the closing gap. The blue wall of energy faced him, and for a moment, he hesitated.

_Am I doing the right thing?_, he thought for a moment. _What about Rukia? And Ishida? What's going to happen? Should I really be leaving them?_

"Whatever happens," came the voice of Kirunami. "I will be by your side."

Shuuichi gulped and nodded, taking the final leap into the Senkaimon. The blue energy enveloped his body, and as the doors snapped shut, the Shinigami had left Soul Society.


	8. Eighth Song

Contains spoilers up to episode 63.

Shuuichi, a black cloak wrapped tightly around his body, wandered down the back alleys for some time. It was raining, it was night, and it was bitterly cold. But he stared forward, as he squeezed down a narrow passage.

After several long years of searching and tracking, he believed he had finally reached his goal. As he wandered along, he looked up and saw a black cat perched on the edge of the nearest roof, staring down at him. At first he paid no heed, but as he stared back at the cat, he realized... no person or thing should be able to see him.

Before he could contemplate that fact, the cat turned and pounced off into the rain. What kind of cat liked rain anyway, Shuuichi wondered.

It had been more than five years, Shuuichi supposed, since he left Soul Society, but it was hard to keep time. It was still relatively short, in his long life. He had spent all that time wandering and searching, over all of Japan. There were few clues left behind, though, so it was extremely difficult.

Now though, he had been pointed in a good direction, and his target was right under his nose, right here in Karakura! How ironic, he thought. He had searched for miles and miles, and had been ready to search all of Japan, yet here he was, hardly an hour's drive from what was once his home.

When he emerged from the alleyway, he squinted through the rain to see if his path was true. A small house--a very shabby one--was set back here, in a small property behind the alleys. It was an odd place for a house, he thought. It was very tight in here; it would simply _kill_ a claustrophobic.

He approached the door nervously, and raised a hand to knock, but before he had the chance, the door slid open quickly. He came face-to-face with a tall, bronze man with narrow sunglasses and wearing a blue apron. The man leaned uncomfortably close to Shuuichi, as if scrutinizing the pores in his face. The Shinigami leaned way back, uncomfortable.

"Umm..." began Shuuichi as the rain poured down.

"I shall retrieve the manager," said the man, and before Shuuichi knew it, he had disappeared, and the door had snapped shut.

"Manager...?" whispered Shuuichi, and for the first time, he looked up at the sign hanging above the door way.

_Urahara Shop._

Shuuichi's mouth dropped open. _A shop?_ He heard a rustling inside, and Shuuichi stepped back from the doorway, hugging his cloak around him tighter. Then the door slid open once more, and Shuuichi sighed with relief.

"It's not very polite to keep a customer waiting outside in the rain," said Kisuke Urahara. His coat was dark green, and he wore black trousers and geta sandals. His eyes were almost hidden by the striped hat pulled over his messy hair, and he leaned comfortably on a smooth cane.

"Come on in... Shuuichi."

Shuuichi nodded, and rushed hurriedly inside the shop. Urahara slid the door shut with the end of his cane. The Shinigami wasted no time in tossing off his cloak, revealing his dirty Death God robes and his Zanpakutou.

"Captain Urahara," he began.

"Urahara," his former captain interrupted. "Just... Urahara. I imagine my position has been filled by now. If not, they're lazier than I thought at first. Have a seat, and I'll make you some tea."

Shuuichi stood there, dumbfounded by how casual Urahara was speaking. He watched as Urahara wandered off into a side room and called to his assistant.

"Tessai-san, our guest could use some tea!"

Then there was silence again, but for the rain continuing to pound over the house. Shuuichi's eyes roamed around the shop, waiting for Urahara to return.

It was indeed a shop, but unlike any he had seen before. He saw products for humans, and for Shinigami. To his left, a rack held a variety of products like herbal medicines, diet pills, and cold relief medicine. To his right, cheap gikongan, spirit-healing medicines, and...

Shuuichi squinted, leaning closer and reaching out for the product.

"Zanpakutou polish," he heard Urahara say from the doorway. Shuuichi jumped and hastily put the product back, turning red.

"For all your aesthetic needs," his ex-captain continued. "If one has to defeat a Hollow, why not have one's sword be nice and shiny as it does the job? Tea."

Urahara handed Shuuichi a cup and saucer, and the Shinigami took in gingerly in his hands. He sighed contently as the warm tea brought life into his numb hands again, and he gratefully took a sip and set it on the floor.

"Though restrictions on visitation have lessened a bit," began Urahara after a long silence, "you're the first from my squad to come and find me."

"I left," said Shuuichi simply.

"Ah, I see," said Urahara. "I'm glad you could find me. I had a visitor not long ago that seemed a bit worried about you."

"Who?"

"A friend of yours," said Urahara slyly, smiling and sipping on his tea.

There was another long silence, and the room flashed as thunder struck nearby. The following boom echoed in the air for a long time.

"Why did you leave?"

Shuuichi asked the question he had been holding in his heart for years and years, and Urahara set his tea down on the floor, frowning.

"Because I had to."

"I don't understand."

Urahara sighed, rubbing his chin. As Shuuichi nervously waited for an answer, Urahara sat and thought it over. At last, he sighed again and looked up from under his green striped hat.

"I left because I made a mistake. Do you remember the item in my research facility that I wouldn't speak of? The blue gigai?"

Shuuichi had to think for a while, because it had been so long, but he nodded when he remember the blue-tinted gigai that had been hanging over the pedestal.

"This was a special gigai I created. When a weakened Shinigami uses it, it completely hides their spirit force. This way, they cannot be detected by any prying eyes. Furthermore, it splits and consumes the Shinigami's spirit force continuously, weakening them. It essentially turns them human. This gigai that I created is an illegal object."

"Why did you create it then?" asked Shuuichi.

"I encased in that object an even more precious--and even more illegal--object. I regret creating it, but despite all of my best efforts I could not unmake it. It even broke my Zanpakutou in half when I tried to destroy it. And this object is being sought, so I had no choice but to hide it."

"What is this object?"

"You do know of course, of the four essential areas of expertise for a Shinigami, correct? Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohou, and Kidou. It is possible to become a master in each area. For example, currently Byakuya Kuchiki is currently the Shinigami with the greatest mastery of Hohou, if not outdone by Yoruichi Shihouin. However, no matter, how fast someone learns, there is a limit to how powerful one can become in each area.

"In other words, every Shinigami can become only so powerful in an area before they reach a wall. Before now, there has never been a way around this wall. However, I discovered a way to break through the wall and become almost infinitely powerful."

Shuuichi sucked in his breath. "What is this way?"

"To cross the barrier between the opposites; to combine the powers of Shinigami and Hollow."

"What?!" remarked Shuuichi, perhaps a bit too loudly. His voice hurt even his own ears in the tight space. "Mixing Shinigami and Hollow?"

"I created an object that held within it the power to cross that barrier. It was called 'Hougyoku.' I created it in my facility as I experimented with the subject, and now I cannot undo my work. For someone is seeking this object."

"Who is seeking it?" asked Shuuichi, even though at that moment, a face popped into his head almost immediately.

"I'm not sure yet. They have kept themselves well hidden. Whoever it is, they have experimented with the same thing. I almost positive this person is responsible for creating the Hollow that had the ability to merge with a Shinigami."

Shuuichi's heart leapt into his throat. "The one that took over Kaien's body..."

"Indeed. I believe whoever my pursuer is, they are a captain."

Shuuichi frowned. Who did he know that was greedy, loved to research terrible things, and didn't mind killing a few people to get what he wanted?

"Mayuri," he whispered under his breath.

"Regardless, soon I was being stalked almost daily. My research facility can only be unlocked by a special key that I possess, so no one can break in. My stalker was certainly searching for an opportunity to get inside. I decided I had to leave Soul Society.

"Because of the tight watch on my person, I knew removing Hougyoku from the building was not an option, lest I be attacked and robbed. Not knowing the power nor identity of my enemy, I figured that leaving Soul Society would assure that Hougyoku would remain locked in my facility, and I on Earth with the only key.

"Now, I'm beginning to doubt my original decision. If my enemy was crafty enough to create such a powerful Hollow, I'm beginning to wonder if they might not have the means to break into my facility after all."

"So what are you going to do?" asked Shuuichi.

Urahara sunk down. "I cannot go back to Soul Society. Somehow, I must get Hougyoku from my facility and hide it somewhere."

There was another silence, and Shuuichi stared down into the dregs of his tea cup. Another bolt of lightning flashed outside the window.

"I will retrieve it," said Shuuichi quietly.

"It is dangerous," Urahara replied. "If the Captain that is stalking us finds you, he will kill you and take the Hougyoku. And even if you successfully deliver it to me, he probably kill you anyway."

"How are you going to hide it?" asked Shuuichi.

"There is a barrier around this building that shields spirit force, so the enemy can't locate me here. For the gigai that holds Hougyoku to be truly hidden, a Shinigami needs to inhabit it."

"But once that is done, the Shinigami will lose all their spirit power, you said, right?"

Urahara nodded.

"Which Shinigami?"

Urahara was silent for a long time, shifting uncomfortably.

"There is a Shinigami in the area, who has been tracking a powerful Hollow for some time. If she is weakened or overcome, she will be in need of a gigai. I believe--given the strength of this Hollow--that she will indeed need one."

"You are placing a lot on chance."

"Of course. I have little time to hide Hougyoku, so I must take a chance if one appears."

"Which Shinigami is it?"

Again, Urahara was silent, and a dark feeling crept into Shuuichi's heart.

"Rukia Kuchiki."

Shuuichi stood in a flash, knocking the rest of his tea onto the floor. Urahara set his chin on locked hands, and didn't look up at him.

"You're crazy. How can I let you do that?"

"There is no choice," said Urahara simply. "She is the only Shinigami right now that is most likely to need a gigai. I have received reports for Soul Society that there have been frequent attempts to break into my facility recently. It is only a matter of time--"

"But if you give her the gigai, she will lose her power!" shouted Shuuichi. "And more than that, if the enemy finds out that she is the Shinigami keeping the Hougyoku..."

"I have no choice. At the rate things are going, the enemy is going to get it from my lab anyway. Hiding it in Miss Kuchiki is the best option right now."

"Do you understand what you're saying?!" shouted Shuuichi, even louder.

Finally, Urahara stood, and Shuuichi was overwhelmed by a sudden surge of spirit power. He took a step back, away from his former Captain.

"There is no other choice, Shuuichi," said Urahara. "I need you to help me."

Shuuichi backed up against the wall, because for a moment, Urahara looked suddenly menacing. In only a brief moment, Urahara sighed and relaxed, and the spirit power died away.

"I do not wish to do this any more than you do," he said. "I wish I had not created the Hougyoku in the first place. Since I cannot change the past, this is the only option left to me. If it can keep the Hougyoku in safety, then all will be well. I only wish I did not have to sacrifice the power of a Shinigami to do it."

Shuuichi stared down at the floor, running all of it over in his head. He was right. If the facility was broken into, Mayuri would become the most powerful Shinigami in Soul Society, and who knows what havoc he would wreak. The only thing they could do was hide the gigai in a Shinigami in need.

It was terrible though, that Shuuichi had to put someone so special in harm's way, even if it meant saving the world. Someone he loved...

"I'll do it," said Shuuichi, a single tear running down his cheek. "But... if the Captain finds me, I won't even be a significant obstacle. He'll track you down as soon as you leave the building; you'd never be able to deliver the gigai in time."

Urahara nodded, also staring down at the floor.

"I mean," continued Shuuichi, "my spirit power has grown a lot; I might even be strong enough to be a top officer in 12th Squad. I'm still not a Captain, though. _He_ knows bankai! I would never be able to stand up to that."

"Then perhaps..." said Urahara, scratching his chin thoughtfully, "we might just have to teach you bankai."

_What?!_, was the first thing that ran through Shuuichi's head. Bankai, the second stage of a Soul Slayer's release. Shikai was easy enough for any Shinigami of the 13 Squads, but normally only the thirteen Captains of Soul Society had enough power to actually achieve Bankai. And it took even them, ten years of training to achieve it.

"I know what you are thinking," said Urahara, smiling knowingly. "How can one achieve bankai, who isn't a Captain? And we certainly don't have ten years to train you for it. But, there might be a way. It is dangerous, and if you aren't strong enough, it will kill you. But we are short on time, aren't we?

"For shikai, a Shinigami must effectively communicate with his Zanpakutou, and harmonize with it. However, for bankai, a Death God must be able to materialize his Zanpakutou's true form in the real world, and force it into submission. Only that way may its second form of release be attained."

"And how can I do that?" asked Shuuichi.

"Think about it. Materialization and submission. There may be a shortcut that was right before our very eyes. To force bankai in this way though, will be so dangerous as to put your life at great risk."

Shuuichi gasped, remembering the items he had seen next the gigai's in Urahara's facility.

"Spirit transfer shell?"

Urahara smiled. "Bingo."


	9. Ninth Song

Contains spoilers up to episode 63. This is the next to last part!

"I'm not so sure about this," said Shuuichi warily. They stood in a brightly lit underground room beneath Urahara's shop. It was huge, possible a mile for each direction. And the walls and ceiling were baby blue, giving the impression that they were just standing outside. The floor was dirt, and rocks jutted out everywhere. It was as if they were in the middle of the desert.

"I feel nervous," said Shuuichi, holding up his released Zanpakutou.

"You most certainly should be," said Urahara, walking up to him with the white spirit transfer shell under his arm. He set it up on the ground and stood beside it. "I would say that you will most likely die."

Shuuichi's heart was racing, but wasn't surprised, as he had reached the conclusion _long_ ago.

"However, if you do die, then the Hougyoku might as well be handed over on a silver platter. Even if you manage to deliver it to me, who knows what might happen. You can try to lure the Captain away from here, since he won't be able to track down my own spirit force while I'm here, but it wouldn't take long for him to catch up with you. And if you can't delay him for a significant amount of time, I'm a sitting duck the minute I leave the doors of my shop."

"So basically, my learning bankai," said Shuuichi, "will determine who has the Hougyoku by the end of the whole ordeal. But don't you know bankai as well?"

"I am not the strongest Captain," said Urahara. "But if you were to pit me to my potential enemies, I am sure I wouldn't be able to win."

_Weaker than Mayuri?_, thought Shuuichi. That couldn't be... But then he was thinking about something else. Something much more important.

"If you couldn't even defeat the Captain with bankai, then I..."

Urahara sighed, not replying.

"Well..." said Shuuichi, his mind set. "If he gets Hougyoku, Soul Society can kiss its ass goodbye. If I can stop that, than I will, even if means I'll lose everything."

Before he could allow himself to change his mind, he strode forward and stabbed his Kirunami forward, right through the heart of the spirit transfer shell. There was a small pause, and Shuuichi looked over into Urahara's eyes. They seemed sad...

The spirit transfer shell--along with Kirunami--suddenly faded out of existence, and Shuuichi's hand closed on thin air. There was a blast of wind, and before Shuuichi, he appeared.

A tall man with stark white hair and baggy white clothes, his shoulders wreathed in a blue mantle.

"Kirunami..." Shuuichi whispered.

"In order to achieve Bankai," said Urahara, "one must use his own spirit power to completely overwhelm the spirit power of the Zanpakutou he possesses. You have but three days to do that. If you do not, then the training is failed, and Hougyoku is lost."

"We shall fight," said Kirunami, reaching behind his back and producing the shikai form of the Zanpakutou. "This one is mine. Here is yours."

Kirunami produced another sword, just a simple katana; it was a Zanpakutou given to Shinigami in training, the weakest of all Soul Slayers. The sword was tossed to Shuuichi, and he caught it warily.

"Kill this form," said Kirunami, "and bankai will be yours. If you do not, not only will you fail this training... I will kill you."

Shuuichi gritted his teeth and gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. It was now or never!

He leapt forward and slashed at Kirunami from the right, but his opponent blocked it easily and gave a counter strike at Shuuichi's abdomen. The Shinigami slid out of the way and tried to strike again, but was foiled once more.

It began as a dance, Kirunami and Shuuichi exchanging blows easily and routinely. Urahara stood off to the side, watching carefully from under his green and white hat.

"You're going easy on me!" said Shuuichi, grinning. "Should you really be doing that?"

"How do you know I'm not lulling you into a false sense of security?" asked Kirunami, his face blank. He wasn't even breaking a sweat.

"Well if you won't fight serious, then I'll just kill you now!" Shuuichi stabbed forward fast, right at Kirunami's face, but he dodged out of the way just in time. A few strands of white hair fell off, cut by the sword. Shuuichi pulled his sword upward fast, circling around behind him and slicing toward Kirunami in an uppercut motion.

Kirunami managed to spin out of the way in the nick of time again, but as his back was turned, Shuuichi put all his strength into reversing the motion of his sword, and he chopped downward at the exposed back of Kirunami's neck.

And he was gone. Shuuichi gasped as his sword sliced through thin air. His instincts screamed at him, and he hastily obeyed, bringing his sword around behind his back, holding the hilt above his head in an awkward position. He felt his opponent's sword clang against it. A second too late, and he would have been chopped in half.

"Flash step," groaned Shuuichi, straining to hold back Kirunami's sword.

"You never were very good at footwork," said his Zanpakutou, in a bored voice. "You're lucky your sword skills were good enough to save your life. This time."

Shuuichi rolled forward as fast as he could, holding in his sword tightly to his body and rolling over to face Kirunami. But again he wasn't there, and the Shinigami looked to the right just in time to see a sword tip moving fast toward his right eyeball.

He blocked it just in time, swinging wildly to knock it out of the way. Kirunami just slashed forward again and again, as Shuuichi fought to regain his defense as he stumbled backwards. He managed to carve a small cut into the Death God's right forearm, but so far, neither was horribly injured.

Shuuichi regained his defense with difficulty, pushing back toward his opponent and swinging hard, and when he finally gained an opening, he stabbed for it with all his might. But Kirunami disappeared again, and this time, Shuuichi was a tad too slow.

As he jumped out of the way, he felt a blade drag against his hip, and he screamed in pain. He landed many feet away and held his wound gingerly.

"Is that really the best you have?" asked Kirunami, holding tightly to his sword. "If that is all, this battle won't even take ten more minutes."

He disappeared again, and Shuuichi--on pure instinct--jumped straight up; Kirunami's sword sliced right through where his abdomen would have been.

Shuuichi looked down as he floated in the air for a brief moment, and saw that Kirunami was patiently awaiting his descent, holding the sword straight up. From this angle, Shuuichi was pretty much defenseless as he landed.

"Way of Destruction number 33: _Soukatsui_!"

Kirunami leapt out of the way as the bolt of blue flame hit the spot, and Shuuichi landed safely. But Kirunami was already back in front of Shuuichi, and the Death God again had to swing wildly to keep from getting impaled.

_This is ridiculous_, thought Shuuichi. _I'm fighting as hard as I can, and I can't even touch him. His Hohou is better than mine!_

But no, it shouldn't be like that. He wasn't trying as hard as he could... He knew his footwork could be better. He couldn't advance in it because he thought it was useless. He thought that swordplay and combat styles were more important. And because of that opinion, Kirunami was going to kill him in bankai training.

As the two fighters leapt away from each other, Shuuichi focused as hard as he could on Kirunami. His opponent landed and smiled at him. He was about to do a flash step, Shuuichi knew. And by the looks of it, this one was meant to kill him.

Footwork _is_ important. Shuuichi had to believe it. He did believe it. Without that essential part of Shinigami power, he would die very soon. He had to believe that he could flash step just like Kirunami.

As Kirunami started the flash step, time seemed to slow down just slightly for Shuuichi. He saw as his form blurred suddenly, and he watched it as it streaked around to his right and circled around him. It was difficult to see, as fast as it was. Kirunami was so fast that he seemed to be leaving images of himself behind, blurred into a visual trail. He still felt as if part of Kirunami's image remained behind where he had been standing even as he shrieked in to Shuuichi's right side.

But Shuuichi could see him now.

Kirunami's sword was blocked firmly by a downward block from Shuuichi. The whole event lasted only a fraction of a fraction of a second, but Shuuichi suddenly felt as if he had had more than enough time to prepare the proper block. Kirunami gasped and looked up into his eyes.

"That's more like it!" shouted Kirunami happily, and he suddenly speeded off into another flash step. Shuuichi strained his eyes to watch as Kirunami circled him twice, then came in from the left with another powerful stab.

Shuuichi blocked that strike too, and this one was even better and more prepared. Shuuichi was smiling by this time, and he felt that he was ready to do it.

Shuuichi jumped backward suddenly, flying through the air, and he landed on top of a nearby rock formation. Kirunami remained where he was standing, unsure of Shuuichi's intentions. Regardless, he took up his sword again and charged the rock formation.

Shuuichi focused on Kirunami's position, and the ground around him. Time seemed to slow down again, and Shuuichi stared at a spot directly in front of and to the right of Kirunami as he charged. He willed himself to travel to that spot, with all of his might, and he raised his sword.

He stepped forward once. As soon as his foot left the ground, the spirit power that he had extended to that spot pulled on him hard. His body rushed through the air at blinding speed, and he extended his foot toward that spot as it came flying toward him.

Kirunami's face seemed to slowly contort into an expression of shock, and his sword moved to block. Not fast enough.

Shuuichi appeared suddenly at Kirunami's side, and his sword bit deep into his opponent's thigh. Kirunami groaned in pain and leaped away to a safe distance.

"You _are_ a fast leaner," he said, then abruptly sped off into another flash step. Shuuichi watched as his opponent drew near, then leapt backward, focusing on a spot some twenty yards behind him. By the time Kirunami appeared again, Shuuichi had flash stepped as well, retaining the distance between them.

"Maybe too fast," groaned Kirunami.

For the first two days, the battle raged on. Shuuichi was learning fast, even with the rests at night. By the end of the first night, he had all but mastered Hohou, and he was able to keep up with Kirunami. His swordplay began to get better too, as he grew used to Kirunami's fighting style. Every now and then he would use a Kidou spell, but he kept it at a minimum, since it required an incantation. He didn't want to be run through by Kirunami's sword as he flash stepped when he was in the middle of reciting an incantation.

But on the second day, Kirunami began to step up his fighting even more, advancing just as fast as Shuuichi. He put more into it. His flash steps became even quicker, and his handle of his sword was faster and stronger. Again, Shuuichi was straining to keep up.

Once, Kirunami leapt forward into a flash step, and struck forward toward Shuuichi's abdomen. He managed to block it effectively, but then Kirunami--without breaking out of the flash step--circled around to Shuuichi's back and struck again. Shuuichi only just managed to dodge; he had felt the passing of the blade as wind against his skin.

Urahara just stood off to the side and watched the fight silently. If the battle drew to close, he took his own flash step to move to a safe distance. Every now and then, Tessai would come down to watch as well, frowning at the battle.

Even two children came down. They were Ururu Tsumugiya and Jinta Hanakari. The former was a young girl with large black bangs that hung down in front of her face, and the latter a young boy with fiery red hair and as fiery of an attitude. Shuuichi knew little about them, but he could sense that they possessed an extraordinary amount of spirit power, as did Tessai.

It was as if Shuuichi's bankai training were a show, as if he was a member of the circus. He still did his best to remain focused, but as Ururu was chanting on Shuuichi and Jinta was chanting on Kirunami, it did annoy him from time to time.

He was grateful when they were gone, for he got bloodied up far less. By the time the third day reached its peak, his body was sore and cut up, as was Kirunami's. Neither showed signs of giving up just yet though, and Shuuichi knew that to win, he could only accelerate his fighting.

"The third day is almost over," said Kirunami, holding on tight to his sword with bruised hands. There were more than a few nicks in the sword by now, and he was breathing heavily. "Are you absolutely certain you have what it takes to defeat me?"

"Yes," said Shuuichi firmly, the backs of his hands still bleeding from yesterday's wounds. "I'll defeat you, and I'll learn bankai. Then I'll take on Mayuri. I'll beat him."

"I haven't even given it my all yet," said Kirunami smirking. He seemed to lower his sword, and Shuuichi raised an eyebrow. Kirunami closed his eyes and sighed deeply, taking in a deep breath.

Shuuichi shrugged and rushed forward, seeing it as an opening, but he ground to a halt fast when he heard Kirunami shout:

"_Suiiki o Wakareru!_"

Shuuichi dodged to the left, and the vertical wave of blue energy shot by, missing him by a hair. And he hadn't even landed when he saw Kirunami coming at him again, with the fastest flash step that he had yet seen.

Shuuichi brought his sword up in anticipation, but as the swords met, he found that the strike had been surprisingly weak. As Kirunami rushed by in the flash step, his ears barely caught the beginning of another incantation, and his heart plummeted.

"_Shi..._"

By the time the Death God had landed, his Zanpakutou had finished screaming "_--ibarikomu Kawa_," and he knew that he couldn't get away. He had just enough time to turn and face Kirunami before the rope of water wrapped around his body and bound him tightly.

Kirunami smirked and started forward, as Shuuichi struggled in vain against the bonds, and he raised his sword.

"How sorry I have to do this, Shuuichi," he said. "It seems that you just weren't ready yet."

But Shuuichi managed to poke a finger through the ropes of water as Kirunami approached, and he hesitated.

"Way of Binding number 61: _Rikujoukorou_!"

Even Kirunami couldn't escape from the six bright rods of light that came flying at him from all sides. The smashed into him, pinning him in the middle, and holding him fast where he stood.

"I never said I had been giving it my all yet either," said Shuuichi, smirking.

"Very clever," said Kirunami. "But what are we supposed to do now?"

The two struggled in vain against their respective opponent's bonds, but they proved all but unbreakable after a few short moments. Shuuichi was straining as hard as he could against the ropes of water, but they weren't budging.

He had to break free before Kirunami. He just had to. Whoever broke free first would be the winner, he just knew. He could already picture Kirunami breaking free from the light rod prison and running him through. Before that happened, he had to break these bonds and do it to Kirunami instead.

As he struggled, he found his mind wandering back to when he was in Shinigami academy, over half a century ago... What was it that he had learned one day in his swordplay class? It came calling back to him from the back of his mind. It felt like it was something important that he had to know. He had to know it for his fight.

_"You know what I heard?" said Hitsugaya one day after training. "I was talking with the Zanjutsu instructor one day after class, and we were talking about fighting strategies. There are almost as many strategies as there are people to implement them, but some are much better than others."_

"So?" said Shuuichi, leaning against the wall in exhaustion.

"It turns out there's a strategy that isn't taught to a lower skill level of students. Well, it's not so much of a strategy as it is a technique. I don't know how, but I managed to weed it out of him. After he told me though, he got really pissed off and kicked me out of his room. It's a technique that assures the defeat of your opponent."

"That sounds ridiculous," said Shuuichi, waving his hand at him. "If there was such a technique than how come even expert swordsmen are still defeated eventually?"

"Because the use of this technique not only assures the defeat of your enemy, but also just as assuredly spells your own demise. It's a technique that will undoubtedly kill your enemy, but you're basically committing suicide as well. Only the very, very skilled swordsmen can use this technique and live."

"A technique that kills your opponent, and kills yourself. Yet you said that if you're very skilled, you can pull it off without dying?"

"Once he told it to me, it was actually pretty simple. I found myself saying, 'Why the hell didn't I think of that?' It was after I said that that the teacher got all pissed off at me."

"Well then, what's the technique?" asked Shuuichi, leaning forward expectantly.

Hitsugaya looked around quickly, making sure no one was looking, then leaned forward to whisper in Shuuichi's ear.

Of course... Shuuichi breathed deeply and put all of his might into breaking the bonds. He _had_ to break them.

It was such a simple technique that he had to use, but even he wasn't sure that he would survive using it. As he thought about it, though, his chances weren't good anyway. At this rate, he was going to die nonetheless. Kirunami still had more energy than Shuuichi. Maybe if he used the technique, and defeated Kirunami, he would achieve bankai anyway; maybe that way, his spirit power would grow again, and he'd be able to survive.

It was too much to hope for, though. If he was going to die anyway, he might as well try the technique. It was all he had left.

He felt the ropes of water beginning to weaken, and Shuuichi just pushed harder. His arms began to move further out, and the ropes were weakening more and more. Looking up, he also saw that Kirunami was weakening the Rikujou Kouro that held him in place. The rods of light were wavering, and Kirunami was smiling triumphantly at Shuuichi.

Both combatants broke free at the same moment. The rods of light shattered, and the ropes of water dissolved. Shuuichi and Kirunami took that opportunity to rush toward each other.

Shuuichi held his sword straight forward in front of him, in a rather unprofessional manner, and Kirunami held it out to the side, more than ready to ram it through Shuuichi's torso.

It was now or never, Shuuichi decided. He had to do it.

As the two reached each other, Kirunami stabbed forward, ready to skewer Shuuichi. He had a confident grin on his face, as if he knew he was going to win.

And Shuuichi moved his sword out of the way. Kirunami gasped just before his sword rammed right through Shuuichi's stomach, jabbing right out his lower back. Shuuichi screamed in agony, and Kirunami simply wore a face of shock that Shuuichi gave himself up like that.

But instead, the Shinigami locked his jaw, summoning the rest of his strength. As Kirunami's sword was stuck firmly in his body, he raised his sword as fast as he could and stabbed it right through Kirunami's chest.

Kirunami's mouth dropped open, and his eyes were so wide they almost popped out of his head. The materialized Zanpakutou stumbled backward, sliding his sword from Shuuichi's belly, and the other sword slid from out of his own chest.

"Damn it, Shuuichi," sputtered Kirunami, dropping to his knees. "Never thought you'd have the balls to actually try that one. Good freakin' job."

Shuuichi smiled and dropped to his knees as well. "Every attack leaves an opening. But to take that opening in the middle of your opponent's attack means you have to accept his attack as well. It's a draw."

Kirunami just laughed, falling over onto his back. Blood was trickling from his mouth. "Not if one strike was more fatal than the other. You got me, Shuuichi. You win."

Kirunami abruptly vanished in a flash of white, and in his place appeared a broken spirit transfer shell and a familiar Zanpakutou. Shuuichi smiled serenely and fell over onto his back holding his grave stomach wound. Even as he won the battle, he felt an odd surge of power, but--with his blood seeping away onto the ground--it was faint as he faded away.

"Looks like I couldn't survive after all," said Shuuichi as he smiled at the sky-like ceiling of the chamber. "Damn..."

"Not necessarily," he heard a voice say. A tall man with a cane and green striped hat stood over him, jiggling a large bottle of medicine. "Looks like you need your medicine there, Shuuichi."

Urahara bent down and poured some of the liquid into Shuuichi's mouth, and he almost instantly felt better. His vision sharpened back to normal, and the pain in his stomach was letting up a little.

"Very expensive, this stuff. I wouldn't use it on just anybody."

Shuuichi willed himself to sit up. "I'm honored," he said, wincing against the pain in his stomach. As he sat up, a small metal object landed in his lap. He stared at it in confusion; it kind of looked like a large, weird puzzle piece.

"And what is this?" he asked Urahara looking up at him and raising an eyebrow.

Urahara fanned himself and smiled. "The key to my facility."


	10. Final Song

Welcome to the final chapter!

Shuuchi held the small marble in his hand. He could even then feel its power leaking into his fingers, and it felt so strange… He quickly placed it in the open glass container inside the bluish gigai laying next to him, and shut the container. As the glass ball shut, it flashed dully, and when Shuuichi looked closer, he saw that the openings had disappeared and Hougyoku was completely sealed inside.

He took a deep breath, and hoisted up the gigai. It was time to go.

In the dead of the night, a tear opened in the sky, and out of it, a Shuuichi leapt. He streaked through the sky, out of the smaller Senkaimon that Urahara kept in his facility for emergency escapes.

He ran as fast as he possibly could. Under his arm, he carried the bluish-black gigai. In the center of it the small marble was incased in crystal. This marble--unknown to all but a few people--was the most powerful object in the world.

Sweat beaded on Shuuichi's brow even as he bounded across Karakura toward Urahara's shop. Tonight was the night, he had said. Tonight was the night he needed Hougyoku.

When he had reentered Soul Society, he had almost immediately felt the presence of his stalker, the Captain that had been following him. But after entering the facility, Shuuichi locked the door behind him and used a secret gate to come to the real world. He figured that would buy him at least a little time.

But even as he was almost to Urahara's shop, he felt it again. That same stalking presence slipped into the living world. It was very distant, and hadn't seemed to catch on to Shuuichi yet, so he pressed on with even more haste.

He leapt lightly into the tiny space that the shop rested in, and he found the shop door open, and Urahara waiting.

"Please take care," Urahara said as he landed, and Shuuichi handed over the gigai. "And please delay him as much as possible. Get out of here before he finds me."

Shuuichi nodded and leapt into the air again, back in the direction he had been going. He hadn't stopped for more than a couple short seconds to hand over the Hougyoku, so Mayuri shouldn't have caught on to the plan yet.

Sure enough, as he speeded on to the edge of town, the presence was coming closer to him, rather than going in Urahara's direction. He was sweating profusely by now. He wasn't being just stalked this time; he was being chased down like a dog.

He was out in the country now, and had been running for many long minutes, but the presence was almost overwhelming. Shuuichi bit his lip, deciding there was no longer any point in running. The Captain was upon him now, and he didn't have a chance of escape.

Shuuichi set down on the earth again, and stayed put; he did not move a muscle. Hardly a couple seconds later, a figure came screaming up from behind, whooshing right past Shuuichi and skidding to a stop many yards in front of him.

Shuuichi's heart nearly stopped. The figure indeed wore a white Captain's robe, as he expected, but what he didn't expect was the number on the back of the robe. It wasn't a 12 at all...

It was a 3.

"Gee... Coulda really hurt if I'd of run into ya there." Ichimaru turned around slowly to grin at Shuuichi.

"I—Ichimaru?" stuttered Shuuichi.

"Captain Ginyanote Ichimaru," the fox-faced captain replied. "Not proper to address someone like me by just their family name."

"But I thought... Mayuri..."

"Whaddaboutim?" said Ichimaru grinning. "Ya thought it was him after ya? That guy don't know nothing about what's going on here. Too busy researching stuff. And now I'm wondering, where's that gigai of yours got to?"

"None of your business," said Shuuichi firmly, recovering from his small shock and drawing his Zanpakutou. "You'll never get it."

"Ah, well ya see it's not for _me_," said Ichimaru, waving his hand absent-mindedly. "For a friend of mine."

"Who?"

"None of your business," he echoed, his fox-like grin becoming even wider. "So I guess I'll have to go along to find it, huh? Think I feel that Urahara back in town..."

He turned away from Shuuichi and prepared to jump away, but he suddenly found Shuuichi had moved to block his way.

"I can't let you."

"Oh? Pretty fine moves you got there. Seems you've learned a lot since the first time we've met."

Ichimaru backed up a few steps and smiled at him enigmatically.

"Ya sure ya wanna do this?" he asked politely. "I am a Captain, ya know."

"I'm going to stop you," said Shuuichi firmly, holding his Zanpakutou at the ready, prepared to release it.

But he didn't have time to say the release phrase. Ichimaru suddenly whipped his Soul Slayer--about the size of a normal wakizashi--from its sheath and pointed it straight at Shuuichi's heart.

"Shoot him dead, Shinsou!"

Shuuichi didn't have near enough time to say a thing, and Ichimaru's sword elongated rapidly, shooting for Shuuichi's heart. Instinctively, Shuuichi raised his sword to block, and there was a sudden blue flash. The growing Shinsou met with Shuuichi's block at the last moment, and it instead went shooting over his right shoulder.

Ichimaru gasped softly and drew Shinsou back into its normal size. "Interesting..."

Shuuichi looked up at his raised sword and gasped as well. Kirunami had released into shikai, without having Shuuichi say a thing!

"Well, looks like this might be fun after all," said Ichimaru, and he quickly raised Shinsou and shot it out again. Shuuichi leapt straight up into the air, right over the spear sword and he landed deftly on top of it. Ichimaru only smiled at him as he leapt off it and came straight down toward him.

Ichimaru's sword snapped back and he moved out of the way easily, and Shuuichi landed, then whipped his sword toward his opponent.

"_Shibarikomu Kawa_!"

Ichimaru leapt backward, away from the reaching water ropes, and they instead wrapped around Shinsou. Shuuichi kept the water ropes attached to Kirunami, and he pulled hard, trying to take Shinsou from Ichimaru's hand.

As Shuuichi pulled, Ichimaru extended his arm to point his Zanpakutou at him. Shuuichi jumped again, breaking the ropes as Shinsou stabbed out beneath him. But this time, Ichimaru moved his hand, and the ridiculously long blade beneath Shuuichi came slicing up toward him.

Shuuichi held Kirunami below him, blocking it, but it kept following its path, pushing the young Shinigami with it. He arced over above Ichimaru, and as Gin slashed downward, Shuuichi slammed into the ground, and rock and dust flew into the air. Ichimaru grinned in satisfaction and pulled Shinsou back.

"_Suiiki o Wakareru_!"

A vertical blue wave of energy came shooting out of the dust, and Ichimaru dodged to the left. He was a little too slow, and the wave blasted through his right arm. Being a Captain, it left only a small wound, but blood was still dripping onto the ground.

"I'm far from defeated, Ichimaru," said Shuuichi, walking out of the dust and holding Kirunami before him.

"So it appears," said Ichimaru, nodding, and leaping forward. He didn't shoot Shinsou this time, but slashed forward with the regular-size sword. Shuuichi dodged the strike and slashed back, but Ichimaru blocked it soundly.

They sparred for some time, but it became quickly apparent that Ichimaru was much stronger and quicker than Kirunami was before. He wasn't tiring at all; he was still smiling as Shuuichi strained to keep up.

Shuuichi stabbed toward Ichimaru's gut, but he swept it out of the way and slashed downward toward Shuuichi's neck. He couldn't block, and instead only leapt away from the strike.

"I'm far from even being challenged," said Ichimaru as Shuuichi tried to catch his breath. "I need to hurry up and kill ya so I can move along. Shoot him dead, Shinsou!"

Shuuichi saw the sword coming at him again, but this time, he was ready. He went down to his knees and held Kirunami up above his head. Shinsou went shooting right between the two linked blades of his Zanpakutou before Ichimaru could change its trajectory.

Then he leapt to his feet again and swung upward with Kirunami--Shinsou still locked in the middle--as hard as he could.

"_Suuiki o Wakareru_!" he screamed as loud as he could, pumping as much energy into it as he could. The blinding blue energy enveloped Shinsou as the attack initiated, and as the attack shot upward, Ichimaru's Shinsou snapped right in two.

Ichimaru drew his broken sword back, and frowned at his broken wakizashi. He seemed almost like he was pouting.

"Aw, now you've gone and broken my precious Shinsou..."

Shuuichi didn't hesitate, swinging his sword again toward Ichimaru's face."

"_Suuiki_--"

"_Rikujoukouro_!"

Ichimaru finished his incantation quickly, and Shuuichi was pummeled from all sides by six rods of light. They locked him in place easily where he stood.

"Ya haven't impressed me very much, Shuuichi Ito," said Ichimaru, striding forward and holding up his broken Shinsou. "So I probably shouldn't waste any more time with ya. Sorry, boy."

"I'm not done yet!" shouted Shuuichi, struggling against the bonds. Ichimaru ignored him, continuing to stride forward.

The captain stopped when Shuuichi suddenly grinned; he stopped struggling against the light rod prison.

"_Bankai_!"

Ichimaru gasped and leapt backwards as a shining blue energy burst forth from Shuuichi's body. The light rod prison shattered instantly, and the Shinigami seemed to grow as the energy blasted forth from his body.

"Bankai?" whispered Ichimaru. "Impossible..."

Shuuichi laughed and tossed Kirunami high into the air, where it remained, spinning rapidly. The blade seemed to melt away as an enormous form burst forth from the hilt and guard. A massive object unfurled in the air as a shining blue light shined over all of them.

They heard a roar, and Ichimaru took a few steps backward.

The hilt and guard snapped into what seemed to be the end of a tail, and at last the form was revealed. A large blue snake-like dragon raised its head into the air as it hovered above Shuuichi, and it gave another earsplitting roar. It resembled a Chinese dragon of fairy tales, with four small legs with large claws on the end.

"_Mugoi Kaiyou no Kirunami_!" Shuuichi shouted, and he pointed at Ichimaru. The dragon uncoiled itself and dove down from the sky at the captain, who for a split second was standing completely still in shock. At the last moment, he leapt straight up into the air, and the dragon's wide jaw smashed into the earth where he had been standing.

Ichimaru sighed with relief that it missed, but he sucked in his breath when the dragon's tail came speeding up toward him instead. It hit him hard before he could dodge, and he went smashing into a nearby tree, snapping it in half.

Ichimaru extracted himself from the broken tree and looked up in time to see the dragon's wide mouth coming at him again. This time Ichimaru sped off to the left, and as he expected, the dragon's tail came swinging around to meet him again. He jumped straight over the swinging tail and when he landed again, he had an opening as Mugoi Kaiyou no Kirunami was just swinging around to face him again.

"Shinsou!" he shouted, and as it elongated, the end remained broken. He knew it wouldn't hope to pierce the massive dragon. And it didn't. The blade blasted into the dragon and pushed it a few yards, but it just snaked to the side of the blade, and came roaring back at Ichimaru.

Ichimaru held up his hands and placed a hand on the end of either jaw as it slammed into him, still clutching the broken Shinsou in one hand. He tried to keep his footing, but it just pushed him skidding against the ground, and it was too strong for him. He leapt away to the side, and it followed after him.

"Destruction Spell number 31: _Shakkahou_!" Ichimaru shouted, and the unsuspecting dragon found a concentrated ball of red energy flying at its forehead. It hit the dragon and exploded, and it recoiled in pain.

Ichimaru looked over and saw Shuuichi, standing out in the open and staring at the captain with the most intense look he had ever seen. He appeared defenseless, but the experienced captain knew he should be wary.

So he pointed his broken Shinsou at Shuuichi and elongated it, but braced himself for the unexpected. A blue claw came out of nowhere and grabbed the blade, aiming it away from the Shinigami. And though it went shooting only a few feet to the side of him, Shuuichi didn't flinch at all.

"Ridiculous," said Ichimaru, biting his lip. "I never expected this."

The dragon roared and stepped down, planting the elongated Shinsou firmly into the ground, and it flew forward. Ichimaru had no choice but to let go of his sword and jump out of the way again, shooting a Shakkahou off in the dragon's direction.

It dodged this time, and just came blasting toward the defenseless captain. He was no longer holding his sword, he couldn't use footwork without his feet touching the ground, and his Kidou had just been dodged. Three of the specialties of Shinigami battle were completely useless now...

Ichimaru kicked the dragon right at the end of its nose. The blow was powerful, and the dragon changed direction rapidly, crashing down to the ground. Ichimaru landed squarely and hastily retrieved Shinsou from the ground.

The dragon righted itself and backed away, moving behind Shuuichi. It remained there and growled at Ichimaru, as Shuuichi stared.

"I will not let you pass," he said firmly. "The Hougyoku will not belong to you or the one you are taking orders from."

"So who will it belong to, huh?" said Ichimaru, resuming his grinning.

"Not you," said Shuuichi, and Mugoi Kaiyou no Kirunami roared its agreement. It raised itself up, preparing to attack.

"Maybe you just don't get it," said Ichimaru. "Ya can't beat me. I'm a _captain_. So ya got a big scary dragon and all, but think about it for a sec."

Shuuichi pointed at Ichimaru, and the dragon gave a battle roar.

"I'm a _captain_."

The dragon flew over Shuuichi's head, opening its maw wide and reaching for Ichimaru.

"_Bankai_."

Kirunami halted suddenly in the sudden onslaught of white energy blasting from Ichimaru's body. It roared in pain, closing its eyes and turning away from the bright light. Shuuichi's mouth went dry as he realized just how grave the situation had become.

When the light cleared, Shuuichi's heart dropped into his stomach. Ichimaru had bright silver armor on his shoulders and around his wrists, and he was surrounded by his bankai. A tangle of blades circled him, with each loop dotted with small, sharp protrusions. It was what every strand of barbed wire wished it could be. Ichimaru was hardly even visible through the tangle of blades that tightly surrounded him. However, Shuuichi could see clearly that the tangle of blades eventually circled in and led back to the hilt in Ichimaru's right hand.

"I think you'll like the name of my bankai, too," said Ichimaru, grinning sinisterly. "_Gin_ _Shinsou_. Whaddya think?"

Shuuichi opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out. The dragon next to him recoiled, hesitating.

It was over. Now that Ichimaru had revealed his bankai, Shuuichi knew that he could no longer hold him off. The captain had fought off his dragon for a long time without hardly even using his sword at all. If you but his bankai into the equation...

Shuuichi sucked in his breath and stared at Ichimaru through the blades with resolution. He could only hope that by the time he drew his last breath, Hougyoku was hidden. It was all he could think about.

_Rukia..._ he thought. _I want you to be safe. Please, stay hidden._

"Urahara," he said under his breath. "I trust you. Protect Rukia as much as possible, so that she doesn't get into trouble. And Rukia... Well, I love you. Goodbye."

He pointed at Ichimaru, and the dragon roared with the same confidence that had flowed out from its master and shot off toward Ichimaru, who just grinned.

"It was an honor to fight along side you," he heard Kirunami's voice say.

He nodded, and smiled at his dragon as it opened its mouth wide again. And at that moment, as he thought about Rukia and Urahara, he realized... The person that had been asking Urahara about him before he arrived... Was it Rukia, after all?

"Hmm," was Shuuichi's last word.

Ichimaru raised the hilt of his sword and pointed it at the dragon as it leapt forward, and the tangle of blades spun out and wrapped around the dragon, slicing into its skin and muscle and cutting the dragon all over. In only a few short seconds, Kirunami roared its last before its head fell severed to the ground as Gin Shinsou destroyed its body.

Shuuichi's bankai faded away into a blue mist, and he watched sadly as Ichimaru pointed the hilt at him next. He closed his eyes and sucked in his breath, and didn't dare to watch as the tangle of barbed blade came spinning at him.

Excruciating pain wracked his body as the blades came flying past, carving into his body. Only his remaining spirit power stopped him from being cut completely to pieces. He lost four fingers in the first half of a second, and in the following few seconds, one hamstring and both Achilles' tendons were severed, his right eye was gouged out, and his vocal cords were sliced. The rest of his body seemed to explode in blood as the blades wrapped around his body and sliced into him.

Then the blades were gone, and Shuuichi fell to his knees, swaying on the spot. His body was shaking; the pain was so terrible, he couldn't even stand it. It was as if every nerve in his body was being burned. He remotely heard Ichimaru approaching, and he managed to look up at the captain with his remaining eye.

His vision was blurry, and he could only barely make out the fox face above him.

"Poor thing," said Ichimaru. "Ya shouldn't suffer anymore cause of that little thing you're trying to protect. So here..."

Shuuichi saw Ichimaru raise a hand toward him, and he bowed his head. The pain was already beginning to fade away, so it really didn't matter anymore. As long as Hougyoku was safe... That was all that mattered.

"Destruction spell number 90: _Kurohitsugi_."

Black lines of energy rose up from the ground around Shuuichi and formed a box around him. Ichimaru heard Shuuichi sigh before the black walls of the box went up and sealed in Shuuichi.

There was a short pause, then the box flashed purple and vanished. Shuuichi was still kneeling there, and Ichimaru watched as he slowly leaned over to the right and collapsed.

Ichimary looked down at his hand, frowning. "Not as potent as Aizen-sama's, but I suppose it did the trick."

Ichimaru looked back at Shuuichi, laying very still on the ground.

"Sorry, boy," he said, without a hint of remorse. "Ya had a lot of promise. Had ya joined up with me, ya could have really been great. Now, I've got a mission."

He turned back toward Karakura and leapt into the air. He bounded across the fields toward the city, but it still took him almost ten minutes to reach the borders of the city. And just as he entered Karakura town, Urahara's spirit force completely disappeared. Ichimaru stopped dead in his tracks, confused.

Back in the clearing, where the battle had taken place, Shuuichi's body still lay there. And there was a smile on his face.

As Shuuichi's battle ended, Rukia was completely unaware of what was happening outside the city. She sat up against a light post in exhaustion, trying her best to stay conscious. Her black Shinigami robes had disappeared, and she wore only the white robes underneath. Before her, a young boy was laying in the road, having fainted from exhaustion with the battle with the Hollow.

He had orange hair, and wore what appeared to be Shingami robes. A massive Zanpakutou lay next to him.

Rukia heard a footstep and gasped, looking up toward the source of the noise. She sighed when she saw the familiar face.

"Oh my," said Urahara, smiling. "It seems like you're having some difficulty. Should I lend you a gigai?"

"Urahara-san!" Rukia exclaimed.

Urahara fanned himself and looked up at the sky. "What a surprise. That boy isn't dead…"

Rukia looked down at the orange-haired boy, Ichigo Kurosaki, laying in the street, snoring contently. "Why would he be?"

Urahara just smiled, because he wasn't at all referring to Ichigo.

…………

Thank you for reading my fanfic! Will there possibly be a sequel? Maybe!


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